Tag: Anambra

Three girls have been rescued from a baby factory and child trafficking syndicate in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra state.

The feat followed a 3-month investigation conducted by operatives of the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) led by the Chairman of the Council Area, Prince Neville Uchendu.

The rescued victims included Thabita Okoli (14) from Arondizuogu, Imo State; ThankGod Blessing (20) from Bayelsa State and Chineye Mathew (19) from Ihite, Orumba South Local Government Area.

The syndicate, Oruchukwu Okoroafor, a native of Arondizogu had since been handed over to the police for further investigation after which he would be charged.

Okorafor, during the investigation, confessed he had been in the business for two years, adding that the victims, who were pregnant were first set for the business for the year.

He also disclosed the prospective buyers had already promised to pay the sum of N300,000 for the unborn children but denied having their contact information.

On their part, the victims absolved the suspect of their pregnancy, saying he only provided them with accommodation pending their delivery.

One of the victims confessed: “The man is not responsible for our pregnancy. He only offered to shelter us at his house pending when we were put to bed.

“He also promised to get a job for us as well as offered to give each of us the sum of N300,000 once we give birth which we gladly accepted.”

Read Also: Anambra varsity investigates six lecturers over alleged sex scandal

Handing over the suspect together with the victims, Chairman of the Council Area, Prince Uchendu said his team was able to bust the syndicate after three months of thorough investigation on the suspect.

He appreciated the responsibility of the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, saying he brought the suspect to her, knowing she would take action immediately.

Receiving the suspect before handing him over to the police, Obinabo expressed joy over the outcome of the 3months investigation, calling on others to emulate the Orumba South Chairman in ensuring the state was rid of criminal elements.

She assured the suspect would face the consequences of his crime.

No fewer than six lecturers are being investigated by the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Unizik) by the school authorities over sex scandal.

This was disclosed by the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Charles Esimone while speaking with reporters in Awka.

It was gathered that two of such randy lecturers had already been shown the way out, while two others were on suspension.

Intimidation and harassment of female students in the institution had become rampant over the years without the management doing any tangible thing about the complaints

However, the VC said he did not institute any panel that indicted one of the lecturers who was suspended for three months a few weeks ago as being claimed in some quarters.

He revealed that if after a thorough investigation, any of such lecturers was found guilty, the lecturer must be sacked, adding that the school had zero tolerance for such offences.

Esimone said: “The case involving one of the said lecturers never came up under me as a Vice-Chancellor. It was not under my tenure and I won’t be able to say much about it.  It may be possible under any of my predecessors.

“But what I saw was a social media report -suspending him which is the way to go. Due process is important in handling such an issue.

“First, is to suspend the person and investigate. What we are doing now is investigation and once it is completed and he is indicted by the committee, it will then go to the joint council senate disciplinary committee and that is the committee that whatever it says will be presented to the council -the final decision.

Read Also: Tears as stray bullet kills UNIZIK student in Anambra

“If we do otherwise, he will go to court; even if it stays 10 years and that is what we have had. The previous VCs’ did that and those who had come back, we are paying heavily because due process was not followed.

“Once you suspend a person, we investigate properly. There are no emotions, no sentiment about it, if you use emotion and dismissed the person, no problem, one year later, he will approach the court for damages.

“We have paid between 75 million and 80 million naira for something we knew were oblivious, but we did not follow due process.

“We are following due process in this case, once he is found culpable, he will leave the university, there are no two ways about it.” 

There was pandemonium in Isuaniocha, Awka North Local Government area of Anambra State weekend following an invasion of suspected hoodlums in the area.

The suspects, who stormed the town around 4 pm with three tinted Hilux vehicles, one Lexus 330, three shuttle buses, and a Toyota Corolla car reportedly opened fire on Police operatives on a peacekeeping mission in the area.

The Nation gathered that while the hoodlums were driving out of the community, one of their vehicles plunged inside a ditch and caught fire around the Obibia bridge axis of the ever-busy road.

An eyewitness who identified himself as Okey Molokwu said road users, motorists, shop owners, and residents scampered for safety during the gun duel.

The witness said: “During the exchange of gunfire, the hoodlums jumped into their vehicles to run but one of them who claimed to be security personnel was caught.”

Speaking with reporters, an acting president general of the community, Friedrich Egwunwa said the incident was an attempt by certain criminal elements to wipe out the people of the town who had embraced peace.

Read Also: Five women die as container crushes bus in Anambra

He accused one Onyemazi Ngini of being behind the incident together with others who had been on Police wanted list for various atrocities in the community.

He appealed to the government and Inspector General of Police to wade into the community in the interest of the people who were always at the receiving end during any attack.

Also speaking, a community leader, Tony Onyeagolu noted that the attack on security personnel confirmed an earlier position that a particular set of persons being sponsored by a certain Commissioner in the state were bent on causing chaos in the area to cover their pranks.

He wondered why Security Operatives would be conniving with some individuals already declared wanted to wreak havoc in the community.

Reacting, police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga said normalcy had been restored to the area as security agents had been deployed to the community.

He called on residents to cooperate with Police operatives to fish out those involved in the act.

A policeman on Saturday, September 16, lost his life in a motor accident in Enugu Ukwu in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The deceased, ASP Anthony Ogbodo, was said to have been knocked down by a shuttle bus driver.

Confirming the incident, the police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga said the deceased was on his motorcycle when he was knocked down.

He said the driver had been arrested and taken into custody while the incident was being investigated.

He refuted insinuations on social media attributing the officer’s death to different causes.

Read Also: Five women die as container crushes bus in Anambra

He said: “Anambra State Police Command wishes to announce the demise of one of its officers, ASP Anthony Ogbodo.

“The officer was killed in a tragic vehicular accident involving his motorcycle and a shuttle bus on Saturday, 16th September 2023.

“The driver of the shuttle bus who knocked down the officer had conveyed him to the hospital at Enugwu Ukwu before he gave up the ghost.

“The driver has been arrested and taken into custody while the fatal accident is being investigated.

“The Command mourns the passage of the Officer and wishes to condole his family and loved ones on his tragic demise.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye has assured that justice will be speedily dispensed in the case.”

The Anambra state government on Friday, September 15, said it is targeting over 2.6 million children under the age of 0-59 months as it begins an Outbreak Response Exercise against Polio virus in the state.

The commissioner for health, Afam Obidike, dropped the hint at the flag-off of the vaccination campaign being implemented by the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA) in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The campaign followed an announcement by the Enugu State Primary Health Development Agency of the recent detection of a circulating variant of poliovirus type-2 in a baby at Nkanu West.

Obidike said although no polio cases had been recorded in the state, there was a need to increase vaccination to prevent the spread to the state.

Obidike said: “We are responding to the outbreak of Polio Virus in a neighbouring town, Nkanu West in Enugu state. We have not recorded any cases in Anambra but the natural thing to do is to increase our vaccination to prevent the spread to the state.

“Again, we want to encourage mothers and guardians to ensure their children and wards are vaccinated. It is a free, safe, and effective oral vaccine; and there is nothing to worry about. We have put in place a quality assurance team in case of any complications and it will be handled appropriately.

Read Also: Tears as stray bullet kills UNIZIK student in Anambra

“We have also mobilised 660 fixed posts across the state and we hope to reach and vaccinate about 2.64 million children to reduce the risk of polio spread in the state.”

State coordinator, WHO, Adamu Abdul-Nasir lauded the state government for its political will and proactive measures in preventing the polio virus from spreading to the state.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of ASPHCDA, Mrs. Chisom Uchem, said the vaccination would start on Saturday, Sept. 16, and end on Sept. 19, in all the local government areas of the state.

She said: “These few days, we will go all out to Churches, Mosques, schools, and the nook and crannies of the state to look for children and get them vaccinated.”

A year-one student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra state UNIZIK was on Thursday, September 14, killed by suspected cultists.

The victim, identified as Uche Joevita Chigozirim, from the faculty of Health Sciences died after she was hit by a stray bullet at Miracle Junction in Ifite, Awka.

An eyewitness who preferred anonymity, said: “This girl Uche Joevita Chigozirim, a 100-level Student of the faculty of health Science was killed yesterday evening by a stray bullet shot by suspected cultists at the popular Miracle Junction.

“Please help us and let the world know the insecurity situation we are facing here in the Unizik environment and the state government is not doing anything to improve the situation.

“Please let the IG of Police help us with a checkpoint around the Ifite area of Unizik because we are tired of complaining to the state government. It’s now a culture we are almost used to. It’s really sad.”

Read Also: Suspected vandal electrocuted at UNIZIK

The lifeless body of the student was lying at the crime scene and covered with banana leaves at the time of filing the report.

Confirming the incident, the state police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga described the incident as unfortunate, saying the police were already working with eyewitnesses to identify the perpetrators and possibly arrest them.

He said: “It is very unfortunate, preliminary information reveals that the incident is cult-related and we are already working with eyewitnesses to identify the perpetrators and possibly arrest them. Meanwhile, police operational positioning has been improved within Awka and patrols intensified.”

Students of Metallurgical Training Institute, Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday, September 14, staged a peaceful demonstration over ravaging flood disaster in the institution.

The protesters lamented that both academic and non-academic activities had been paralyzed as a result of the deluge.

Addressing reporters ahead of the protest, the president of Student Union Government of the institution, Chigozie Onyenyili, said students had since been subjected to sleepless nights as hostels have been overrun with their property destroyed by the flood

He said the situation was worsened by destruction of existing drainage by contractors working in the institution.

He said: “Flooding has been an issue in the institution, but it was worsened because the government recently commenced flood control process by removing an existing drainage inside the school, without providing alternative measures to mitigate the flood.

“They commenced flood control during the rainy season, but now, they have abandoned the work and as we speak, the whole institution is flooded.

Read Also: ‘Anambra railway masterplan design underway’

“We are embarking on this peaceful demonstration to draw government attention to our plight. The school has done its best, but we need government to return to the work they abandoned. 

“The two machines government brought for the job are not working and there is need for them to bring in more personnel to commence the work so that normalcy will resume at the institution.”

Another student, who prefered anonymity said, “the flood damaged our laptops, mobile phones, learning equipment, beds, and also carried our pots of soups.

Public Relations Officer of the institution, Owoh Ugochukwu, confirmed the incident, blaming it on government’s negligence.

He said, “State government channelled waters that come from Obosi, Nkpor and Onitsha-Owerri Road and environs, down to the school, without providing adequate measures for enough drainage.

“The flood issue has lingered for some years now, and the school authorities have been doing their best, but currently work has been abandoned and there is no alternative measures in place.”