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Tag: Anambra State

  • Cultists flee as SPACS arrests member at funeral

    A suspected cultist was on Tuesday arrested while other members of his group escaped during the burial ceremony of their member at Umuota Obosi, Idemili North local government area of Anambra State.

    The suspect, Chikaodili Nwanba, and his group were said to be displaying their war weapons when they were rounded up by officers of state Special Anti-Cultism Squad, SPACS, Police Command.

    A resident of the area told the Nation that the SPACS stormed the scene following a tip-off.

    Read Also: Task force arrests 90 suspected cultists, miscreants

    He said, “SPACS on a tip-off that Black Axe cultists at Umuota were about to perform the burial rites of their dead member, Christian Kenechukwu Onugha, alias Kembeliwa, allegedly killed during a bloody clash with a rival group in December 2018.

    “They sacked scores of cultists and arrested one of them with locally made pistol.

    “The funeral immediately came to a halt as the cultists who were displaying their weapons of war fled the scene.

    “The bereaved family with other mourners peacefully buried the dead and all disappeared for fear of the unknown.”

    The SPACS Commander, Mr. Christopher Bassey (CSP), confirmed the incident.

    He warned parents to ensure they monitor their children’s friends to curtail their criminal activities.

  • Suspected robbers escape lynching in Anambra

    Two persons on Monday escaped being lynched by angry mob for attempting to rob passersby at Attah road, Nkpor in Idemili North local government area of Anambra State.

    The suspects, Chukwuma Ememke and Chizoba Obuneme, were apprehended while carrying out the act.

    The Nation gathered that they were however overpowered and beaten to stupor by the mob before the arrival of the Police.

    Confirming the incident, the Police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, said a toy gun was recovered from the suspects.

    He said the case was being investigated.

    Similarly, two persons, Chijioke Okeh and Ugochukwu Nweke were nabbed for allegedly robbing a cleric at gunpoint in Nnewi, the industrial hub of the state.

    The Police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, who also confirmed the incident, said all the robbed items have been recovered and had been identified by the complainant.

    Read Also: Four persons arrested over murder of Anambra ex-lawmaker

    He said, “Operatives attached to the Command Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) arrested at a criminal hideout in Oba one Chijioke Okeh ‘m’ aged 26 years and Ugochukwu Nweke ‘m’ aged 23 years, all of Uruagu in Oba.

    “Suspects had on the 25/4/2019 at about 8:15pm, robbed at gunpoint in Nnewi one Rev Fr. Chukwunonso Anosike ‘m’ of his HP Laptop, Samsung A7 phone, Fero phone, two infinix phones, one Techno phone and a power bank.”

    He said efforts were on to recover their operational weapons and would soon be charged to court.

  • Why we assassinated Anambra ex-lawmaker – Suspect

    Arrested alleged killer of Anthony Igboka, former Anambra State House of Assembly member, on Monday, confessed that they carried out the act because his gang was banished from the community.

    The 27-year old suspect, Chigbo Aniegbu, alias Transformer, who disclosed this while being paraded at the state Police headquarters, however said he was not the one that shot the deceased.

    He said the deceased had chased members of his gang from the town, insisting they would not return until they turned a new life.

    Aniegbu, who confessed being a member of Vikings cult group, however said he ignorantly, joined the gang in the vehicle from a neighboring town to his community.

    He said, “I was at Oyeolise when they picked me. They told me to join them for an operation, but was not told that the operation involved the killing of Igboka.

    That was why I was speechless when they started shooting the man. I don’t have any personal issue with him. After all, two of us are from the same village.

    “The only mistake I made was entering the vehicle without confirming exactly where they were headed.”

    Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police , Mustapha Dandaura said the governor of the state, Willie Obiano has increased the cash reward of N5m earlier promised to anybody with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the remaining suspects to N15million.

    Read Also: Anambra NLC gets new leader, cautions some Govs on minimum wage

    Addressing newsmen in Awka, the commissioner said the increment followed the arrest of the kingpin who hails from the same community as the slain Igboka.

    He said three of the members of the gang were at still large, adding that efforts were being made to track them.

    The CP gave their names as Chukwunonso alias, Nwasami and Obinna Okafor.

    “I’m happy to announce that His Excellency has increased the price of anybody who can lead the police to arrest of the remaining three suspects to N5million each.

    The Commissioner continued, “It would be recalled that on the 16th of April, 2019 at about 8.18pm, the President General Nimo community one Chief Frank Anthony Igboka was shot and murdered by gunmen around Nimo market in Njikoka LGA of Anambra State.

    “Following the incident, the Command under my watch launched an aggressive manhunt of perpetrators of this dastardly act which led to the arrest of the main kingpin one Chigbo Aniegbu aka Transformer, aged 27 years of Abba, Nimo in connection with the murder of the late President General.

    “Other gang members are at large and effort is being intensified to apprehend them”

    Describing the month of April as a blessing to the command following harvests of arrests recorded in the month, Dandaura disclosed that a total of 265 suspects were arrested.

  • ‘We may be compelled to ban tricycles over nuisance’

    Anambra State Commissioner for Transport, Uchenna Okafor, has warned tricycle operators popularly known as keke riders in the state against use of tricycles for criminal activities.

    He said government would not hesitate to ban tricycle operation if they became nuisance to the society.

    Addressing tricycle operators at the weekend in Awka, Okafor cautioned them to avoid any act capable of bringing their names to ridicule.

    He further warned them to stop any manner of payment to anybody, insisting that the order that all payments be stopped immediately were still in force.

    Read Also: Tricycles banned in Asaba

    Responding, Chairman of the Caretaker committee of Keke Operators, Mr Ekene Ifediata, stressed the need for members to abide by the government directive, warning that offenders would be dealt with accordingly.

    He said, “We will set up a taskforce that will take care of road decongestion that will operate in line with the state government.

    “Our plea is that whenever the state government wants to issue authority to Keke operators on revenue generation let it be given to our members and not touts who not only increase the amount but also extort us.”

  • Four persons arrested over murder of Anambra ex-lawmaker

    No fewer than four persons have been arrested by security operatives in Anambra state, following the assassination of the former Anambra state House of Assembly lawmaker, Chief Anthony Frank igboka.

    Though the state police command did not confirm the report yesterday, but a senior police officer in the state, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed it to The Nation, while the police commissioner, Mr Mustapha Dandaura, would address the press today (Monday)

    But The Nation gathered on Sunday that one of the four suspects was from Nimo, Njikoka local government area, same community with the murdered former lawmaker.

    Igboka, who was the President General of Nimo Development Union , was killed by unknown gunmen in his Chevrolet jeep car last week at about 7.30 pm.

    The police source, who pleaded anonymity on Sunday, said the other perpetrators equally arrested were from Obosi and Onitsha respectively.

    Read Also: Anambra APC leaders to other parties: prepare for war in 2021

    The source further said they were apprehended somewhere in Asaba, Delta state.

    The four suspects were already  in the Police custody at the moment, while Investigations were still going on.

    Furthermore, The Nation gathered that  some other arrests had been made in Nimo community on Friday night, in connection to  the gruesome murder of Igboka .

    The state police public relation’s officer PPRO, Mohammed Haruna, refused to talk on the issue, saying “the CP will address a press conference on Monday  on the issue ”

     

  • Flood: 4,636 Anambra farmers benefit from NEMA grants

    Over 4,636 farmers affected by the July to October 2018 flood disaster in seven local government areas of Anambra State are to receive grants soon.

    National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Supervisor of the project in the state, Mrs Bolanle Ojo,

    disclosed this on Sunday in Ogbaru at an ongoing revalidation exercise of affected farmers.

    She said the grants to be provided soon after the verification exercise, would come in form of seedlings, fertilizers and agro-chemicals for them to have good yield in the 2019 farming season.

    Read Also: Ex-lawmaker killed in Anambra

    She said, “The farmers will be supported based on their farm size and seedlings like rice, yam, maize, cassava, plantain and vegetables as it apply to them.

    “This is in line with the directive of the National Food Security Council led by President Mohammadu Buhari to further ameliorate their plights.”

    Those to receive the grants were drawn from Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum, Ogbaru, Orumba North, Awka North and Ihiala local government areas.

  • Suspected murderer of ex-Super Eagles player’s father nabbed 5 years after

    Suspected murderer of father of former Super Eagles player, Chikelu Iloanyusi, was on Saturday arrested in Anaku, Anyamelum local government area of Anambra State.

    Police spokesperson in the state, Haruna Mohammed, who disclosed this in a statement in Awka, said the suspect, Ikechukwu Emilie, was arrested in his hideout at Anaku following intelligence report.

    He said the 30-year old suspect, who kidnapped and murdered the 85-year old man, Pa Iloanyusi in 2014, had been at large until his arrest.

    Read Also: Benin to replace Ghana for Super Eagles

    The statement read, “It would be recalled that sometime in 2014, one Pa Iloanyusi aged 85 years and father of Ex-Super Eagles player Chikelu Iloanyusi was kidnapped and murdered by one Ikechukwu Emilie, a notorious kidnapper terrorizing Anaku and Otoucha axis in Anambra State.

    “Suspect was rounded up at Phix motel Abagana where he jumped down from a three storey building with handcuff and escaped in 2014.

    “Since then he became elusive and all efforts to get him rearrested was furtile.

    “However, on the 27/4/2019, at about 1:30pm, following credible intelligence, Police detectives attached to the Command Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) arrested the suspect Ikechukwu Emilie ‘m’ aged 30 years in his hideout at Anaku in Anyamelum LGA of Anambra State.”

    Mohammed added that the case was being investigated, while efforts were intensified to apprehend other accomplices.

  • Anambra NLC gets new leader, cautions some Govs on minimum wage

    The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in Anambra State, has a new Chairman in the person of Comrade Jerry Nnubia.

    He was unanimously elected at the weekend in Awka ,during the NLC’s delegate conference,  where he cautioned some Governors on the implementation of the new minimum wage .

    Nnubia, called on the Governors in the country to cut down on their spending  to enable them pay the new minimum wage, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari recently

    He said he prayed that some of the Governors would not do anything capable of causing unrest among the workers going by their body language on the new minimum wage.

    Nnubia said full implementation of the 30,000 naira minimum across the country would ensure stability in the polity.

    According to the labour leader, “The minimum wage is a product of negotiation and with the President signing it into law, we are looking out for a circular to be released and each state is bound to implement it”

    “The state governments have no option than to implement it because they were part and parcel of all the negotiations”

    Read Also: Minimum Wage: NLC, TUC laud Buhari

    “For us in Anambra State, we have the firm belief that our governor will implement it fully. He has promised us and I am sure we are not going to have challenges in that regard”

    “We commend the national assembly for the speedy passage of the new national minimum wage (2019) amendment bill and also President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to it on April 18, 2019″

    “We therefore wish to use this platform to call on the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, NSIWC, to immediately issue out the implementation table to enable our hardworking and labour friendly governor, Chief Willie Obiano, who has already firmly promised to be the first governor to pay the new minimum wage for the hardworking workers of Anambra State, implement the new minimum wage.”

    Furthermore, he spoke on the agitations on labour issues that led to the setting up of a committee headed by the state deputy governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke.

    He regretted that although the committee had since concluded its assignment and submitted its report to the governor, no action had been taken to date.

     

  • ‘Anambra committed to promotion of science, technology education’

    Anambra State Government says it is committed to the promotion of education, especially science education and technology, as basis for the development of all levels of education in the state.

    Prof. Theresa Obikezie, Anambra Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology has said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Tuesday.

    The commissioner, who described Science education and technology said it remained the key to development of all levels of education and  creation of balanced education for the citizens of the state.

    Obikezie said that the state government carved out the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology from Ministry of Education in order to promote quality and technologically-driven education.

    The commissioner said the state government, based on its principle of  developing the educational sector for the best result, had provided enabling environment for students to achieve success in their educational pursuits.

    Read Also: Ex-lawmaker killed in Anambra

    She also disclosed that government had been supporting Innoson Manufacturing Company, Nnewi, to boost the technological development of the company.

    She said” The  support is to assist in harnessing people who are technologically in tune as well creating jobs for them.”

    According to her, the new basic education system in the state, (9-3-4), is compulsory for pupils in primary one to Junior Secondary school three

    NAN

     

  • Anambra youths threaten reprisal over alleged killing, raping of women

    Youths of Anambra West local government area, Anambra State on Monday, staged a peaceful protest over alleged continued killings of farmers and raping of women in the community.

    They accused the state government of paying lip service to their plight, threatening to embark on a reprisal attack if noting urgent was done.

    Addressing newsmen shortly after the protest, Secretary of the youths, Ikechukwu Onuorah, wondered why they would be asked to be patient while they continued to be humiliated by visitors in their communities.

    He said, “We are disappointed that the government is paying lip service to addressing the problem.

    Read Also: Police nab 151 suspected cultists in Anambra 

    “How can people be sleeping in their farm settlements and homes while visitors will attack, kill and cut off their neck? It makes us look as if we are weak.

    “We are just respecting Governor Obiano that is why we have not confronted the killer herdsmen. We don’t want to create an embarrassing situation for him, but we expect him to act now.

    “If they continue what they are doing, we will confront them and it will be bloody and I’m sure at the end of the clash no herdsman will ever come into Anambra West.”

    On his part, the Coordinator, Mr. Odikpo Madubueze said, “We don’t want to take laws into our hands, but Federal and State governments shouldn’t allow us to match them violence for violence, they have killed many of our people and farmers have deserted their farms.

    “It’s only few courageous farmers that go to farm in groups now, unlike before they go alone and even at that, they have always run out of the farms claiming to be pursued by herdsmen.

    “We cannot run away from our farms and villages because of people we decided to accommodate to do their cattle rearing business.”

    The protesters, carrying placards, chanted songs, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Willie Obiano to intervene by stopping further killings in the area.

    Some of the placards read, “Silent killings of our people by Fulani herdsmen our farms and villages still going on”, “We are running out of patience with the violent activities of Fulani herdsmen in Anambra West”, “Pushing us to the walls will bring mayhem, enough of the killings of our people.”