The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abakaliki

  • Fire scare at Ebonyi govt house

    Fire scare at Ebonyi govt house

    There was palpable fear in Ebonyi state government house, Abakaliki Wednesday afternoon as a tanker caught slight fire after it encountered electricity wires close to the Protocol Unit.

    The incident sent lots of panic among both workers and visitors who were in the government house environment during the period.

    The tanker was halted close to the premises of the Governor’s office when passersby and security personnel posted to the government house raised alarm of slight fire at the top of the tanker.

    The fire was immediately put out by the conductor attached to the tanker.

    Normalcy however returned to the government house environment as those who had scampered for safety were seen returning to their duty posts.

    A staff of the government house who did not want his name in print advised the present administration to ensure that all electricity cables are not within the reach of commuters and passersby to avoid future occurrences.

     

  • Abakaliki prison inmates protest ban of Indian hemp

    THERE was palpable tension in Abakaliki yesterday as inmates of the Abakaliki prison protested against alleged ban of Indian hemp by the prison authorities. The protest led to prison officials to cordon off the FMC Road leading to the prison while the protest lasted.

    Unlike the August 18 protest which led to the death of at least six persons, no casualty was recorded in yesterday’s protest.

    The Nation learnt the inmates calmed down after the state Comptroller of Prisons, Adaobi Oputa held a meeting with their leaders. Speaking to reporters in her office, Oputa described the incident as a mere protest. She said: “I call it agitation. I was in the office when I was called that the inmates are agitating. d I rushed there and asked them to select two representatives from each cell so that I could hear from them. “After listening, I discovered they were agitating for Indian hemp which have stopped to be allowed inside their cells. Secondly, they asked to be opened out in the prison yard the way they want even for churches activities.

    But you know they are many; 950 inmates and we have rules and regulations which I have told them”. “We cannot open them the way they want. They want to choose their provost the way they want. I told them I will come and conduct election for a provost. They also said they don’t want to see some staff. They even said they don’t want to see the Deputy Comptroller of Prison(DCP) but told them I cannot appoint a DCP. The agitation is normal because the congestion is much”.

  • Police confirm clash with soldiers in Abakaliki

    The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed Saturday evening’s clash between its officers and soldiers from the Nigerian Army Cantonment at Nkwagu, near Abakaliki, the state capital.

    Police spokesman George Okafor, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed this yesterday to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki.

    But Okafor said the matter had been resolved amicably.

    According to him, the clash was unfortunate and efforts have been made by the two agencies to forestall such occurrence in future.

    Okafor said: “The matter has been peacefully resolved and we urge the public not to panic over the development but be assured of their safety at all times.”

    The spokesman, who declined further comments on the matter, also failed to confirm whether or not police officers involved in the clash sustained injuries.

    An eyewitness, who spoke in confidence, told NAN that the incident occurred at 1, Water Works Road in Abakaliki.

    He said: “Trouble started when a police patrol team on a road check requested for the identity cards and vehicle particulars of army officers from the Nkwagu Military Cantonment.

    “The soldiers rode a tinted Toyota Camry car with registration number BWR 886 AE and a black Toyota Jeep with the inscription of ‘Bride’ used to convey a newly wedded couple.

    “The soldiers, who were in their uniform – except one person, told the police team they were returning from a wedding and felt embarrassed by their request for the documents.

    “At this point, one of the police officers stopped the soldiers from passing and the latter angrily fired sporadically into the air.”

    The witness, who is a security agent, said the policemen called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on phone, adding that one of them slapped a soldier.

    “The clash subsequently ensued and the policemen, who had the upper hand, took some of the soldiers to the command’s headquarters and confiscated their rifles.

    “The soldiers, who escaped from the scene, rushed to the cantonment and, on their way, allegedly attacked some policemen near the cantonment and held them hostage,” the security agent told NAN.

    The eyewitness said one of the policemen held by the soldiers was released and he rushed to the command to report that some officers were being held at the cantonment.

    “This development almost affected the peace moves by both security agencies, but the situation eventually normalised following intervention by top echelon of both agencies,” the source added.

    The Army authorities had not reacted to NAN enquiries or made public their reaction over the development.

  • Ebonyi moves to end robbery, kidnapping

    Ebonyi moves to end robbery, kidnapping

    Ebonyi State government on Thursday said issues of kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes will soon be a thing of the past in the state soon.

    The state governor, Dave Umahi stated this in Abakaliki the state capital while flagging off the Sustainable Development Scheme (SDG) water scheme in the state.

    The Governor stated that his administration is working with the Police and other security agencies in the state to install CCTV and other surveillance apparatus in all the major entry and exit points and major cities of the state to ensure proper monitoring of the state.

    “When this is done, it will make it difficult for kidnappers and armed robbers to operate easily in the state and go free.”

    Umahi also backed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido’s advice that governor’s should not borrow to pay workers salary.

    He described it as postponing the doomsday asking, “if you borrow to pay workers, what will you do when the maturity time comes, it will then be a worse situation for the state.”

    He, however, promised that workers in the state and pensioners will continue to receive their salaries and pensions every 20th of the month despite the economic challenges facing the state government.

    On the water scheme, Umahi said his government will work to ensure that every local government is properly reticulated before the end of his tenure.

    He said the state government added another N900m to its N600m counterpart fund to ensure the completion of the projects.

    He listed the projects to include: rehabilitation of Ezillo water scheme, Sakamori water scheme to be done by Lannard Construction Company and Ohaozara water scheme to be done by Belform Nigeria Limited.

    Focal Person of SDG in Ebonyi state, Dr Ngozi Obichukwu attributed the realisation of the project to Umahi’s determination develop the state.

    She urged the people to ensure that the projects are properly maintained and protected.

  • Abakaliki attempted jailbreak: No prisoner escaped, says NPS

    The Controller-General, (CG) of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Ja’afaru Ahmed has confirmed that no prisoner escaped during the attempted jailbreak in the early hours of last Thursday in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
    Ahmed disclosed this while addressing the press during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi.
    The Controller General, who had earlier inspected Abakaliki prison stated that trouble started when prison officials were about to carry out routine cell-search in the morning but the inmates in a particular cell resisted the exercise.
    According to a statement issued in Abuja by the NPS spokesman, Francis Enobore, the prison boss said: “They suddenly became riotous, broke other cells and released the inmates. They eventually broke into the workshop to arm themselves with dangerous weapons and severely attacked some staff trapped in the yard while others made for the main gate and pulled it down.”
    “Meanwhile, the prisons Armed Squad and men from other security agencies on guard outside the perimeter fence were firing warning shots to deter the rampaging inmates but a number of them rushed out to escape.
    “The bold attempt was resisted by the combined team of armed personnel who presented what would have turned into a catastrophic security situation had the inmates succeeded in escaping.

    “Regrettably at the end of the fracas, six prisoners died and 10 others were injured. Six prison officers were severely injured. However, both staff and inmates are responding to treatment with some already discharged from the hospital.”
    The Controller General, the statement further explained has set up a 3-man panel to carry out a detailed investigation into the incident in order to establish both the immediate and remote causes of the riot.
    He commended the officers and men of Abakaliki Prisons for successfully foiling the attempted jailbreak and also thanked officers of other security agencies that promptly responded in resisting the jailbreak noting that such synergy was essential in maintaining peace and good order in the society.
    He also thanked the Governor for his assistance and timely visit to the prison.
    Ahmed said: “Routine cell-search is a tradition in the prison usually carried out as a proactive security measure to ensure that prisoners do not keep dangerous items that could aid escape or compromise the safety of their fellow prisoners or staff. It is the near abandonment of this practice that has largely been responsible for the recent escape of prisoners in Kuje, Koton Karfe and Nsukka prisons.
    The CGP promised to continue to support field officers in the onerous task of securing prisoners in safe and humane.
    He also assured that reformation and rehabilitation of inmates will be pursued with the required vigour in order to stem the vicious circle of repeat offences among ex-convicts.

    Abakaliki prison was built in 1946 with an installed capacity of 387 inmates but as at Thursday 18th August 2016, the prison had a population of 920 prisoners out of which 811 are awaiting trial Prisoners.

    The ring leader of the jailbreak had spent about nine years awaiting trial.

  • Police foil another jail break attempt

    Police foil another jail break attempt

    • As Abakaliki prison inmates riot

    The Police in Ebonyi state this morning foiled an attempted jailbreak as Abakaliki prison inmates staged a riot inside the prison.

    As at press time, Police have cordoned off all roads leading to the Abakaliki prisons.

    Gunshots could be heard intermittently as Police try to recover a firearm allegedlly taken from one of the prison officers.

    The Nation gathered that the inmates were protesting poor treatment especially inadequate feeding.

    Unconfirmed reports said that some loss of lives have been recorded in the incident.

    Another source said some of the inmates capitalised on the riot to stage a jailbreak and had already succeeded in creating an opening on the wall before anti-riot policemen arrived and heavily tear gassed them into submission.

    The prison is located beside the police headquarters leading to prompt intervention from the police.

    Already the Commander of Military cantonment and the commissioner of Police have visited the area and are directing the operations to restore sanity to the prison.

    The Police spokesman George Okafor when contacted said the command was still working hard to resolve the crisis.

    He, however, refused to confirm if anybody is dead or not.

    “There was an attempted jailbreak and the prisons called in the police. We cordoned off the area and restored nomalcy to the area”

    “We will brief you later on the issue once everything have been sorted out”.

  • Paediatrician urges regular immunisation exercise

    Paediatrician urges regular immunisation exercise

    Dr Emmanuel Azu, Consultant Paediatrian at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Abakaliki, on Tuesday urged nursing mothers to ensure regular immunisation of their newborns against child-killer diseases.

    Azu told the newsmen in Abakaliki that regular immunisation of children from zero to one year was essential to build their immunity and insulate them from the deadly child-killer diseases.

    According to him, routine vaccination by nursing mothers is essential to prevent infant mortality as well as ensure healthy growth and development of the newborn child.

    He said that some preventable diseases that affect the child including polio, diarrhoea and hepatitis, among others, could be prevented through regular immunisation.

    “The reduction or the near elimination of incidences of polio in Nigeria and other child-killer diseases is made possible through the regular immunisation campaigns.

    “Also regular immunisation has put down the rate of child mortality as well as ensured healthy growth and development of the child.

    “Nursing mothers should take advantage of the free immunisation exercises to ensure that their newborns are regularly immunised until they are a year old,” Azu said.

    The physician said that immunisation was the right of the child but regretted that culture, religion and ignorance had made many nursing mothers to deny their newborns this right.

    He called on the media and other relevant stakeholders to intensify the sensitisation campaigns aimed at educating especially the rural women on the dangers of not taking their newborns to approved hospitals for regular immunisation.

    “I think what is needed now is for relevant stakeholders including the media to intensity awareness campaigns on the dangers of not taking children within the regular immunisation age to be immunized against the six child-killer diseases.

    “The future of the child is better secured when everything that will threaten his health, growth and development is nipped in the bud,” Azu said.

  • Ebonyi to pass bill on female genital mutilation

    Ebonyi to pass bill on female genital mutilation

    A jail term of Five years awaits anybody who practices female genital mutilation in Ebonyi State, the state government has warned.

    The warning was handed out Tuesday during the flag off of the campaign against female genital mutilation in the state at the Women Development Centre (WDC), Abakaliki.

    In her speech at the occasion, Mrs Umahi described female genital mutilation as a harmful traditional practice against womanhood which must be put to an end.

    She said: “We can’t continue to live in dark ages at the detriment of our women in the name of female circumcision or genital mutilation.

    “Our women have suffered a lot in this traditional harmful practices against them and we must stop it, we must wage serious war against the practice.

    “A situation where women reproductive organs are butchered in the name cultural practices is no longer unacceptable,’’ she vowed.

    She noted that the state ranks second with 74% after Osun state as states in the country with prevalent rate of female genital mutilation, leading to her decision to begin the campaign against the practice through her pet project, Family Succour and Upliftment Programme.

    Mrs. Umahi said she will soon approach the state house of Assembly to amend the law against the practice which is yet to be passed.

    Earlier, the state Chief Judge Justice Alloy Nwankwo who was represented on the occasion by Justice Destina Oko of Onueke High Court said anyone caught practicing the act in the state will bag five years imprisonment with option of N2, 000 fines.

    She reiterated the readiness of the judiciary to partner with Mrs. Umahi to curb female circumcision in the state.

    In his remarks, Governor Umahi said he will retrieve a law before the state House of Assembly against female genital mutilation which has not been passed and emend it to provide severe sanctions against the mutilators.

  • Three injured in Abakaliki over Ronaldo, Messi superiority argument

    Three football fans were injured in a free-for-all in a bar in Abakaliki on Saturday night over an argument about who is a better player between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who witnessed the melee, reports that the incident occurred at the Kpirikpiri area of the town during the EURO 2016 second round match between Portugal and Croatia.

    Portugal won the match 1-0 courtesy of a Ricardo Quaresma 114th minute-extra time goal that sent them into the competition’s quarter-finals.

    Trouble started when a Ronaldo supporter identified as “Marshal’’ celebrated widely as the Real Madrid star’s shot was parried into Quaresma’s path for the goal to the consternation of the Messi’s supporter named Obinna.

    The duo had argued all night over the better player between both mega stars.

    Immediately Quaresma scored, Marshal rushed to Obinna and mocked him, chanting “I told you, I told you Ronaldo is the best’’.

    Obinna, who apparently was reeling with anger, pushed Marshal and a fight ensued which made others inside the bar to intervene.

    Matters, however, went out of hand when Marshal’s friends felt that Obinna’s friends were indirectly aiding him in the fight, thus making the fight instantly a free-for-all.

    The bar owner, identified simply as Simon, rushed outside to invite people within the compound as those inside couldn’t control the situation.

    However, calm was eventually restored but three persons, including Obinna were seriously wounded, while Simon immediately closed before the match could end.

    On the development, Simon said that both fans always argued on the issue of Real Madrid and Barcelona superiority.

    “I banned them from coming to my shop but this is their first visit since the commencement of the competition.

    “It took the intervention of others inside the shop for me to allow them, as I was sure that their acrimony toward each other goes beyond Ronaldo and Messi supremacy,’’ he said.

    Dr Obiora Ike, a youth activist, decried the level of fanaticism being displayed by young soccer fans in the state, especially over foreign clubs and players.

    “This sort of incident occurs regularly and one wonders why people should fight and disturb themselves over clubs and footballers who do not even know that they exist.”

  • NYSC DG wants Corps members to intermarry

    NYSC DG wants Corps members to intermarry

    The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has urged corps members from different tribes to intermarry, as an avenue of boosting national integration.

    The Director General of the Corps, Brigadier General Suleiman Kazaure, gave the urge when he visited the 2016 Batch A (Stream II) corps members undergoing their orientation programme.

    He noted that the essence of the scheme is to ensure national integration, which would bring the desired unity which the country earnestly desires.

    “I wish to see you to intermarry within the orientation period to enhance national integration, as this would be achieved through adequate bonding in the camp.

    The DG remarked that Nigeria needs unity and development, as the outlined camp activities such as military drills, skills acquisition and sporting activities would prepare the Corps members for life within and after the service year.

    “The Ramadan did not stop us from coming to the camp as I received lots of text messages inquiring about the possibility of organizing the camp with the approach of the period.”

    He noted that he insisted that the orientation programme would be organized and by God’s grace it went on and the Corps members would soon leave the camp.

    “Corps members would not be posted to Ishiellu Local Government Area where the Ezza–Ezillo communal war took place until we get assurances of adequate security in the area.

    Kazaure also advised the corps members to be security conscious and ensure that they go out in the company of friends and colleagues instead of going out alone.

    “You should also pay special attention to skill acquisition while in the camp and the entire service year, to enable them be self reliant and not rely on white collar jobs.

    The Ebonyi State Coordinator of the Scheme, Mrs Gladys Mbachi, told the DG that 1, 932 Corps members were undergoing the programme with 1, 346 males and 586 females.

    “The corps members have been behaving well since they arrived in the camp, though we presently have some health challenges.

    She noted that one of the corps members has a mental problem while three others have asthmatic cases, but all have been referred to the hospital for adequate medical attention.