The Nation Newspaper

Tag: abia

  • Army storms Abia NUJ secretariat

    Army storms Abia NUJ secretariat

    Over  20 soldiers of the Operation Python dance stormed the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and beat up journalists and  smashed their gadgets.

    The soldiers who patrolled  the streets of Umuahia in their show of strength, otherwise called python dance came into the NUJ centre saying that journalists were taking pictures of their action.

    Riding in fifteen Armour Personnel Carrier (APC), 20 Trucks and Six hilux vans, the solders on getting to the Abia Tower, where the Abia NUJ state secretariat is located, three trucks carrying close to twenty soldiers packed and personnel jump down.

    The Nation reports that immediately the soldiers came down, they ran upstairs where the Press Centre was located and invaded the state Council office where journalists and correspondents were seated.

    “The soldiers surrounded the journalists and cocked their rifles and alleging that someone took their pictures when the show of force was ongoing, in the process some journalists were slapped and beaten up.

    “The soldiers collected phones, iPad belonging to journalists  and smashed them while the soldiers took away some phones, one of the journalists slapped is a traditional ruler and a national trustee of NUJ, Ezeogo Bonny Okoro”.

    “When some us tried to introduce themselves as journalists to the military men, they shouted at us saying shut up I will kill you while, another shouted killed them like chicken after the damage was done the left”.

    The Nation noted that while the soldiers were beating up journalists, food vendors and other defenseless people doing their legitimate business ran for their lives as the soldiers took over the NUJ premises and turned it upside down.

    In his reaction, the State Chairman of Abia NUJ Comrade John Emejor condemned the invasion of the Press Centre by the soldiers, adding that they were not on national assignments where journalists were not required to cover.

    Emejor noted that since the soldiers were doing their show of strength which they called operation python dance, “Journalists have the right to cover it and alert residents of the city not to panic when they see such large number of soldiers”.

    He said that with the action of the soldiers that they have desecrated the NUJ press centre, which is a threat to journalism practice in the state, stressing that no journalist ever took pictures of the soldiers operation in the state capital.

    Also speaking, member of the  National Trustee of NUJ whose iPad is among those destroyed by the military invasion Ezeogo Boniface Okoro describe their actions on journalists as unfortunate.

    In his own reaction, Uche Nwosu a journalists of the Daily Independent called on the the army hierarchy to withdraw the Operation Python dance as it is making the state to be under unnecessary tension.

    When contacted the public relations officer 14Brigade Ohafia, Major Gbadamosi Oyegoke denied the incidents and said the soldiers cannot do what they have being accused of doing.

    The Nation also observed that several vehicles and army APCs were sighted parked at a petrol filling station at Ntigha Isialangwa North council area of the state along the Port Harcourt-Enugu express way.

    In Umuahia soldiers were seen parading around Afaraukwu, where the country home of the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu is located, while residents of the village closed their shops for the fear of the unknown.

  • Many injured as IPOB alleges plot to kill Kanu, others

    Many injured as IPOB alleges plot to kill Kanu, others

    The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Abia State has alleged a plot by security agencies in the state to eliminate their leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

     Soldiers in three patrol vans and an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) on Sunday reportedly shot and injured many IPOB supporters at the country home of their leader (Kanu) at Afara Ukwu Ibeku, Umuahia, the state capital after some of their members foiled attempt by the soldiers to gain entrance into the palace of Kanu’s father.

     They alleged that they had before the foiled invasion got information from a source that the army authorities in the state have concluded plans to come and abduct Kanu since the court was yet to reverse his bail.

     It was learnt that three members of IPOB were reportedly shot,while others sustained different injuries as the soldiers were said to have shot sporadically following the resistance to allow them gain entrance into Kanu father’s compound.

     Narrating the incident, Nnamdi Kanu in a telephone conversation with newsmen said he was resting at about 6.30pm on Sunday when one of his relatives drew his attention to heavy presence of soldiers at the main entrance to his family home.

     He said before anyone could know what was happening, the soldiers who he claimed came to kill him started  shooting sporadically and in the process wounded so many people.

     The IPOB leader who described the incident as “crude show of power” on innocent and defenceless people of Biafra, said nothing warranted such show of shame on the people that are demanding and charting the course that they believe in.

     He called on his supporters and IPOB members to remain calm in the face of unwarranted attack on them.

     Kanu’s father and the traditional ruler of Afaraukwu Community, HRH Eze Israel Kanu described the invasion as “unwarranted and shocking “.
    The monarch said his son committed no crime to warrant military invasion of his palace.

     When contacted, the Army Public Relations Officer, 14Brigade Ohafia, Major Oyegoke Gbadamosi denied the allegations saying  that the soldiers were on routine patrol and did not shot at any IPOB member.

     Gbadamosi however accused the IPOB members of attacking the soldiers and injuring some of the officers in the process.

     But the State Commissioner of Police, CP Adeleye Oyebade in response to a text message sent to him by our reporter confirmed the incident.

     Part of the text message stated “Unfortunately, a policeman on guard duties going to work was matcheted by the IPOB group, while a soldier man and a civilian were equally injured. All are being treated in the Police Clinic for minor injuries sustained. Normalcy has been restored, as our men are fully on ground, to ensure no further breach of the peace.”

  • Abia: Six policemen to face prosecution after dismissal

    About six policemen serving under Abia State Command of Nigerian Police Force (NPF) would be facing trial after being dismissed from the force.

    The State Commissioner of Police, CP Adeleye Oyebade, disclosed this in a chat with our reporter in Aba yesterday.

    According to Oyebade the dismissed police officers, two females and four men, were said to have been absent from duty, leaving only one officer who, due to act of negligence, gave out the key to the cell to one of the suspects through which they escaped.

    He also said that the suspects; Kingsley Anyim, Chijioke Chukwu and Emeka Ukaegbu have been rearrested with the firearms which they made away with during their escape.

    He said efforts were on to recover one of the AK47 which they made away with.

    He said that the Policemen would soon be arraigned in court for their prosecution to start.

     

  • 10 tricyclists arraigned in court

    10 tricyclists arraigned in court

    Ten commercial tricycle operators who were allegedly arrested for assaulting and damaging operational vehicle of soldiers attached to 14Brigade at Isi Gate, Umuahia, Abia State capital were on Wednesday arraigned before chief magistrate Court I.

     The Commissioner of Police, Abia State, CP Adeleye Oyebade in a chat with our reporter said that the accused were granted bail of N400, 000 each with a surety in a like sum.

     According to the commissioner “They were arraigned on an eight counts charge of basically 1. Conspiracy to commit a felony to wit: Riotous Act 2. Conspiracy to commit a felony to wit: wounding 3. Conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor to wit: Malicious Damage to property.  4. Committed the offence of Partaking in a Riot. 5. Wounding each of the three Army officers. 6. Malicious Damage to a Hilux vehicle belonging to the Nigerian Army. They pleaded not guilty to each of the counts.”

     Oyebade said that the sureties until the time he was briefed about the matter were sorting out modalities of perfecting the bail conditions.

     The Commissioner of Police however enjoined Abians and visitors to go about their lawful duties, stressing that the police and other security agencies would not fold their arms to watch few unscrupulous agents disrupt the peace in the state.

    Recall that soldiers and commercial tricycle operators on Monday night clashed turning the city into chaos.

  • Tension in Abia as IPOB, soldiers clash

    Tension in Abia as IPOB, soldiers clash

     Umuahia, the Abia State capital, was Monday night thrown into unrest as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were reported to have engaged soldiers at the capital in a bloody battle.

     The incident which was said to have occurred at the popular Isi Gate spilled to other parts of the state capital, causing tension amongst residents and visitors alike.

     Sources in Umuahia, who spoke to The Nation said that the situation forced many business owners and traders within the city center to abruptly close their shops over fear of arrest or being caught up in the crisis which has literally shut the city down.

    While information about the report remains sketchy, a version of the incident has it that some soldiers stationed at Isi Gate were collecting money from commercial tricycle operators and when one of the operators refused giving them money , one of the soldiers slapped the commercial tricyclist.

    The situation degenerated into a fight when members of the union in solidarity with their member engaged the soldiers in a brawl.

     Another version of the incident claimed that the soldiers at a checkpoint around Isi Gate stopped a commercial tricycle operator and demanded that the driver should hand over to him the  Biafra and IPOB insigma in his tricycle, but the driver refused.

     The situation, it was learnt degenerated into a heated argument which attracted crowd and the soldiers on seeing that the area was already charged, shot into the air to scare people, but the crowd overpowered them and injured some of them in the process.

     At the time of filing this report, it was gathered security agencies have flooded the state capital with their men on the alert to prevent total breakdown of law in the city.

     A source at the Aba Area Command told our reporter that their men have been properly briefed to be on alert at some of the flash points in the commercial city and be vigilant of movement of persons who may wish to stir up the peace of the town.

     The Coordinator of IPOB in the State, Mr. Ikechukwu Ugwuoha said that he was yet to be properly briefed about the incident.

     But a member of IPOB who would not want his name in print told our reporter that the soldiers shot at and injured some of the people who had remained peaceful and were appealing to the soldiers to release the tricyclist to go about his business since they couldn’t find anything incriminating on him.

    The 14Brigade Ohafia Public Relations Officer, Major Oyegoke Gbadamosi disclosed that some of soldiers were injured and were in an undisclosed hospital where they were receiving medical attention.

    He denied that  the soldiers fueled  the crisis, alleging that their operational vehicle was damaged by the crowd.

     Gbadamosi who said he was yet to get the full information to the incident, promised to get back to the reporter as soon as he is briefed on the matter and gets  clearance from his boss (Brigade Commander).

     In a text message sent to our reporter, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Adeleye Oyebade said “We are on top of the situation. We will contain the situation. There is no cause for alarm. All hands are on deck to co continually sustain the peaceful atmosphere we have labouredly tirelessly to achieve so far in the state.”

  • Abia govt gives ASEPA five disposal trucks

    The Abia State government has provided five refuse disposal trucks to the state’s Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) to clean the state.

    The trucks came when the state’s two major cities – Umuahia, the state capital, as well as Aba, the commercial hub – have been ravaged by heaps of refuse, raising fears about likely outbreak of an epidemic.

    At the handover of the trucks, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said his administration was determined to ensure a clean state.

    Ikpeazu, who was represented by his deputy, Sir Ude Oko-Chukwu, said government’s determination to keep the state clean propelled his administration to buy three refuse compactor trucks, two roll-off trucks and four refuse buckets.

    He said that the present administration has also reorganized the agency to make it more effective, “We believe that with what we are doing that the agency would turn a new leaf”.

    The governor urged the agency to put the new materials to good use to enable them clean up the state, adding that government would provide more materials for them in due course.

    Receiving the trucks, the general manager of ASEPA, Okechukwu Apugo said that the agency is very happy to the new items, stressing that the governor has empowered them to do their job.

  • Abia police chief: strategies on security yielding positive results

    The Commissioner of Police (CP) in Abia, Mr Leye Oyebade said the strategies introduced to combat crime and criminality in the state was yielding positive results.

    He said this when he briefed newsmen at the Police Officers Mess in Umuahia on activities and achievements recorded by the police command in the state.

    He said the command arrested 30 criminal suspects in connection with kidnapping, armed robbery, car snatching, cultism and other security breaches in different parts of the state.

    He restated the command’s commitment to crime reduction, adding that “my officers and men are prepared to make Abia uninhabitable for hoodlums.

    “We have recorded substantial successes and reduction in crime wave and that is because of the different proactive measures and strategies we have put in place.”

    The police boss attributed the successes recorded to cooperation from the public, saying “they have been assisting us with useful information.

    “But I am using this opportunity to appeal to great people of Abia not to rest on their oars; they should continue to volunteer information to us to enable us to serve them well.”

    The list of suspects included Chigozie Akpara, Ndubuisis Nwoko and Nnamdi Kanu, said to have broken into Oza Secondary School, Asa, where they allegedly carted away eight computer sets donated to the school by the Niger Delta Development Commission.

    Others were Sunday Agu and Chinagorom Nwaobwugwu, allegedly arrested in possession of three stolen 200-AMP trailer batteries.

    Some of the items recovered from the suspects included pistols, double-barrel guns, AK47 rifles and other dangerous weapons.

  • At 26, Abia still crawling – NLC chairman, pioneer NUJ chairman

    At 26, Abia still crawling – NLC chairman, pioneer NUJ chairman

    The Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abia, Chief Uchenna Obigwe, says at 26 “the state is still crawling like a baby,” in terms of development.

    Obigwe spoke in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia, on the 26th anniversary of the state and level of progress so far recorded.

    “At 26, Abia is still crawling like a baby because previous administrations failed to develop the state,” he said.

    NAN recalls that Abia was created on Aug. 27, 1991, by then military President Ibrahim Babangia.

    According to Obigwe, the extent of decay in infrastructure is enormous and that it will take time for any meaningful development to be achieved in the state.

    On the fate of workers, the NLC chairman said that it had not been easy for civil servants in the state, owing to the delays in the payment of salaries.

    “You know that this is my constituency, so I can safely say that this administration is doing well to better the lot of the civil servants in the state.

    “Today, the governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has paid workers in the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) up to date.

    “We only have issues with the local government workers, teachers in primary and secondary schools, some parastatal agencies and pensioners.

    “If the government can take care of the salaries of this category of workers like those in the MDAs then our problem is over,” he said.

    Also, the pioneer chairman of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Ogbonnaya Iheaka, shared similar opinion that at 26, Abia had not done well in the area of development.

    Iheaka told NAN in a telephone interview that the state had come of age, but lagged behind in terms of development.

    He expressed worry that past administrations failed to put the basic things that would propel development.

    “Certain basic things that ought to be done to drive development in the state were not done.

    “For instance, it was only during the last administration that workers’ secretariat was built yet it was far below the standard you find in other states,” Iheaka said.

    He also said that the state had not experienced the required federal presence and that past administrations did not do much to attract federal and international development agencies to the state.

    He said that the state had achieved a milestone in power sharing, particularly the governorship position, among the three senatorial districts.

    Iheaka, however, said that the development of the state was seriously threatened by sectional tendencies amongst the political leaderships.

    He said: “Since the return of democratic rule in 1999, political leaders have concentrated development in their own areas and paid little or no attention to other sections of the state.

    “Governors always reserved strategic political and civil service appointments for people from their area.

    “What this means is that place of origin has taken the position of merit,” he said, adding that the “ugly trend had destroyed the state civil service.”

    To further buttress his point, he said that the administration of Sen. Theodore Orji introduced an eight-year age limit for directors and permanent secretaries.

    He said that the policy swept many people out even before their mandatory retirement age.

    Iheaka regretted that after filling the vacancies created by the policy, the administration quickly reversed the policy and returned to status quo.

    “This unwholesome sectional tendency had been the trend since 1999 to date and it is dangerous for the state,” Iheaka said.

    According to him, the attitude of successive administrations is one of “the winner takes all” to the detriment of the interest of the greater majority of the people.

  • Abia: CP moves to curb unregistered security outfits

    Abia: CP moves to curb unregistered security outfits

    Abia Police Command will put a check on the proliferation of unregistered security outfits in the state, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, has promised.

    Oyebade made the promise on Wednesday in Umuahia while briefing newsmen on efforts being made by the command to reduce crime in the state.

    He said that the operations of unregistered security outfits constituted a breach of the law.

    He urged the people behind such outfits to disband them or they would be made to face the full weight of the law.

    He said, “Setting up parallel security organisations when there are existing ones like the Police, Army, Navy, Air Force, civil defence, among others, is criminal.

    “The Abia command is against such organisations and is ready to deal decisively with them.’’

    The CP specifically cited the unlawful activities of an organisation, known as “BBS” in the state, allegedly trending in the social media.

    In another development, Oyebade said the command had busted two different suspected kidnap syndicates in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state.

    He said that his men arrested one Samuel Akoma from Umuako-Obohia Ibere in Ikwuano council area and Kenneth Ananaba from Ugwunagbo.

    He said the two men were arrested in a hotel in Aba in connection with the kidnap of one Kelvin Wogu.

    He said the suspected kidnappers abducted Wogu while he was driving his Toyota Highlander SUV jeep on Omenazu Street, Aba.

    The CP said the suspects had confessed to the crime and that they collected N3 million ransom from the victim before he was released.

    He said the confession by the suspects led to the arrest of another member of the syndicate, Goodluck Sunday in his Umuobi Ukpakiri Village in Obingwa council area.

    He gave a list of the items recovered from the gang to include a Mitsubishi SUV with Reg. No. Abia: UMA 103 SW and the stolen Toyota Highlander.

    Oyebade also announced the arrest of an armed robbery suspect, one Obioma Onwuchekwa of Umuozuo Village in Osisioma council area of the state.

    He said the suspect, who had been on the police wanted list since April after a robbery operation in Aba, was caught in Calabar.

    According to him, the suspect was arrested at the Calabar office of the Federal Road Safety Commission, while attempting to re-register a Toyota Highlander SUV jeep, with an initial registration number.

    Oyebade said that further investigation showed that the vehicle was snatched from its owner, one Jeff Omadewu, in Aba.

  • Flood kills two, ravages 46 communities in Abia – SEMA official

    Flood kills two, ravages 46 communities in Abia – SEMA official

    Heavy flooding has severely ravaged at least 46 communities in Abia, killing two children, an official of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has said.

    Mr Sunny Jackson, the Head, Planning, Forecasting and Operations of the agency, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Monday.

    Jackson said that the children drowned when flood submerged their home in Akoli Ohazu Autonomous Community in Aba South Local Government Area (LGA) sometime in July.

    He said that SEMA gathered that the mother of the deceased was busy trying to salvage her property when the flood surged into her house and drowned the children.

    Jackson further said that the 46 affected communities cut across 13 local government areas of the state and that Aba South Local Government area topped the list with 11 communities.

    He said that Aba North came second, followed by Obingwa, Osisioma and Ugwunagbo council areas.

    “Some residents of the affected communities can no longer access their homes because their houses had been completely submerged.

    “Some of the communities have been cut off from their neighbours because flood has washed off their roads.”

    He said that the situation in Abia confirmed the predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMeT) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency about flooding this year.

    According to him, Abia is one of the states that received alert about the impending flooding in the country this year.

    “This is why I consider it a pure fallacy for anyone to say that there is no flooding in Abia.”

    Jackson expressed delight that succour would soon come to the affected communities.

    He said that Abia was among the 16 states slated to benefit from the N1.6 billion Federal Government Flood Intervention Fund.

    The SEMA official said that the agency was committed to disaster-risk management in the state but expressed regret that the agency’s operations were adversely affected by shortage of personnel and logistics.

    According to him, the agency is in dire need of equipment such as Geographical Positioning System, digital cameras, trucks and ambulances for efficient
    service delivery.

    Jackson described flooding as a natural disaster but noted that it could be escalated or checked through human actions or inactions.

    “Building on flood planes and waterways, deforestation, over-grazing, improper channelling of water, blocking of drains and flood channels are capable of triggering the disaster.”

    He said that to checking the disaster required re-afforestation, desilting of the drains and prohibiting the erection of structures on waterways, among other measures.