The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Anambra

  • Anambra deploys helicopters, APC’s for security

    …mounts CCTVs in major cities

    Anambra State government yesterday told the residents not to panic when they see ubiquitous Helicopters and Armoured Personnel Carriers APCs hovering around, saying it is part of measures to boost peace and security.

    Also, the government has concluded plans to install Advanced Closed Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) in the three major cities of Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi to secure the state adequately.

    These according to the state Governor were to make Anambra remain the safest and most peaceful state in Nigeria which will help realise the vision to make it the foremost investment destination in the country.

    In a statement yesterday in Awka, signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C-Don Adinuba and made available to reporters, said it was increasing its air surveillance during the Christmas and New Year period.

    He said the helicopters would sometimes fly at low altitudes, this was to enable the pilots and other security agents flying with them to have a bird’s eye view of the security situation in every place.

    Furthermore, he said they would monitor the movement of individuals and even cattle, they would also monitor vehicular traffic and provide reports constantly to appropriate agencies for prompt action.

    According to the statement, “the state government, therefore, urges the people of Anambra State and individuals and groups passing through the state not to panic or be afraid. The ubiquitous presence of helicopters is for their benefit.

    “The helicopters are the latest in a series of far-reaching measures which the Willie Obiano administration has adopted to make the Christmas and New Year celebrations most rewarding for our people, as they travel in their millions from all parts of the world to their homeland, often accompanied by friends and well-wishers.”

    “The installation will be in conjunction with the Boston Innovation Centre in Massachusetts, United States.

    “The agreement for the supply of the special CCTVs and the subsequent installation was signed between the Boston Innovation Centre and the Anambra State government when Governor Obiano visited the United States last October to see for himself how our state could benefit more from advanced research and innovation, for which Massachusetts is world famous.

    “As we join the rest of Christendom to mark the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ and to observe the beginning of a new year, Ndi Anambra should not panic at the unusual presence of helicopters, APCs, security vans and cars as well as state of the art CCTV cameras because they are being deployed for their benefit,” the government said.

  • Three suspected cultists nabbed over murder in Anambra

    Three persons were on Friday, arrested by the police for allegedly killing a 26-year old man, Dominic Njem, in Ihialla, Anambra State.

    The suspects said to be members of a cult group, reportedly inflicted several machete cuts on the deceased body until he became unconscious.

    The Nation gathered that the deceased was rushed to a nearby hospital in the area where he was certified dead by the medical doctor on duty.

    The State Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed confirmed the arrest, saying the corpse had been deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy.

    He said the suspects were arrested by the Police detectives attached to Ihiala division following intelligence report.

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    He gave their names as Chidubem Ejezie, a.k.a Santana, Arinze Azubuike Adigwe and Chijioke Onu.

    Mohammed said, “Victim was rushed to our lady of Lourdes hospital Ihiala by Police Patrol team who visited the scene but he was certified dead by the medical doctor while receiving treatment.

    “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects belonged to a cult group known as Aiye Confraternity.”

    He said the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution after investigations were concluded.

  • Yuletide: Machete dealers protest planned demolition of shops

    Traders dealing on machetes and knives at Onitsha main market, Anambra State, on Friday protested what they termed secret moves to demolish their shops and revoke their allocation papers during the yuletide break.

    The traders, under the aegis of Machetes Line Association, accused the authorities of Onitsha Main Market Traders Association (OMMATU) of perfecting the planned demolition and revocation exercises.

    The protesters, who marched round the main market, carrying placards with various inscriptions, also alleged that the plot was in conjunction with the authorities of Onitsha North local government council and the Amalgamated Traders Association of Anambra State (AMATAS).

    Chairman of the association, Chief Felix Mgbachi and the Secretary, Chimezie Ezeibekwe who led the demonstrators, queried the rationale behind such plans to dispossess them of shops they claimed were allocated to them by the state government.

    They called for governor Obiano’s intervention to save them from being dispossessed of their legitimate shops.

    “This is illegal and dubious because we have been paying our taxes and levies regularly to the state government,” they decried.

    In a swift reaction however, Chairman of OMMATU, Chief I. K. Ekwegbalu, described the protest as fruitless exercise.

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    He said he was shocked to hear that traders demonstrated around the market without first approaching him to ascertain the true position before embarking on the protest.

    Confirming the closure of the markets for the yuletide from December 24 to January 7, 2019, Ekwegbalu said the convertion of the portion of the market largely owned by butchers from open warehouse to lockup shops was to meet with modern trend.

    President-General of AMATAS, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo who also confirmed plans to construct lock-up shops in the market, however assured that the machete dealers would retain their shops if they paid the contractors that handled the work.

    Ezenwankwo further revealed that he had been approached by some of the machete dealers, pledging their readiness to pay the contractors to retain their shops.

  • Kidnapped father of three found dead in Anambra

    A 48-year-old father of three, Angus Okoye, was found dead on Monday at the boundary of Isu Aniocha and Nawgu in Awka North Local Government of Anambra State.

    Okoye was allegedly kidnapped last Saturday from his house at Ifite Isu village, Isu Aniocha, about 11:30 pm.

    It was gathered that the deceased youth leader, popularly called “Igwe”, was shot in the head and neck after his abduction.

    A resident attributed the incident to the crisis in the community.

    He said the deceased was opposed to the embattled President-General of the town’s Union, Mr. Anthony Onyeagolu, whose leadership was dissolved by the government and replaced with a caretaker committee.

    He said: “About six men stormed Okoye’s house, about 2 am in a shuttle bus, abducted him and took him to an unknown place.”

    Police spokesman Haruna Mohammed said the body had been deposited at the Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital morgue for autopsy.

    He promised that investigations had started to ascertain circumstances surrounding the incident.

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    “About 9 am, there was a distress call at Dunukofia Division that a middle-aged man was found unconscious at the boundary between Isu Aniocha and Nawgu village. Following the report, a patrol team visited the scene in conjunction with vigilance group. The victim was photographed and rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead on arrival.

    “Preliminary investigations showed that the victim was allegedly kidnapped from his home at Ifite Isu, Isu Aniocha in Awka North on December 15, about 11:30 pm.

    “The victim was shot in the head and neck, and his Honda Pilot (FST 430 DM) abandoned. Efforts are on to arrest the culprits and prosecute them.

    ‘’Intensive patrols and surveillance is on to forestall possible breakdown of law and order in the community.”

    Mohammed listed exhibits recovered on the scene as expanded cartridge and three empty shells of berretta pistol.”

     

  • Anambra Mayhem: Women, youths, men flee community

    No fewer than 100 persons in Ubaru, Igbariam, Anambra East local government area of Anambra State, have relocated to neighbouring communities and other states in the country, following the mayhem in the area
    During the mayhem, which took place Friday night , over eight buildings were destroyed, including the house of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture in Anambra state, Dr Edwin Ezinando
    When The Nation visited the community on Saturday, the area was looking like a war torn area, while majority of the people had relocated to other areas for fear of being harmed
    The state police public relations officer, Haruna Mohammed, a Superintendent of Police (SP)  when contacted, said the arrest was not done by the state command
    He said the police command was not aware of the matter and therefore, would not speak on it.
    However, one of the victims of the mayhem, Nnalue iloegbune, whose building was destroyed by those that invaded the community, said they were living in fear.
    He called on both the state and federal governments to come and rescue the community from the hands of ‘terrorists’
    Iloegbune, said the problem started when one of the leaders in the community wanted to intimidate the people by converting communal land to his own.
    He said it was agreed that the said land would be shared to the seven villages each, while the remaining portion would be for the development of the community, which the leader didn’t want, instead,allegedly  connived with the traditional ruler of the place to harass and intimidate the people.

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    The land in question stood at 360.085 hectares, while each village was allotted 900 plots, but the said leader maintained he would take the remaining 407 plots which the people resisted, thus, the cause of the mayhem
    For 81 year old widow, Mrs Agnes Atomba, the hoodlums who stormed her house at 2 am on that Friday, made away with 200,000 naira her children sent to her for medication.
    Not only that, she told The Nation that they introduced themselves as police and ‘Bakassi ‘ boys, beat the entire household up and destroyed the building.
    Also, Mrs Catherine Ogini, said the over 200,000 naira Church money with her was stolen by the hoodlums, while their building was equally destroyed
    Narrating his ordeal, Christian iloegbune, said the youths were being hunted by the hoodlums, while all of them had relocated to other communities and states in the country.
    Only few women were seen in the village and were living in fear and when The Nation visited the Palace of the Monarch, Igwe Nzekwe Kelly, he was not around, only red eyed young men were inside the locked palace
    Also, the President General of the community, Mr Ikechukwu Orizu, whose name was copiously mentioned was not around to defend himself

  • Osinbajo to unveil Igbo Ancestry Museum in Anambra

    Nigeria Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo would later in the month, officially unveil the rebuilt Odinani Museum, in Nri kingdom, Anambra state.

    The curator of the museum, Chief Tony Akunne, who dropped the hint in a press briefing, said the monument was officially inaugurated on March 18, 1972 by the Sole Administrator of the defunct East Central state, Chief Ukpabi Asika.

    He said the 70-year old edifice, which suffered eight years of dilapidation, received a face lift following its reconstruction by Chief Charles Tabansi, an illustrious son of the kingdom.

    He said, “The museum suffered dilapidation since 2010 after the brains behind it, late Prof. Kenneth Dike a foremost historian and Prof. Michael Onwuejiogwu, an Anthropologist stopped giving attention to it.

    “The building started collapsing, the staff were not being paid and even some of the artifacts molded with red earth like ‘Egbo and Abadaba’ which are usually erected during new yam festivals got spoilt because of rain.

    “Tabansi singlehandedly renovated the ultra-modern building at an estimated cost of N50million.”

    According to him, the museum contained more than 10,000 artifacts which included 17th century wooden door, sacred python, pre-colonial legal tenders, a wooden gong called ‘Ekwe Ikolo’ which was used by Eze-Nri Enwenetem in 1616AD.

    He said the ancient city had existed 900AD and endowed with its preservative nature of legacies bequeathed by the ancestors and has attracted foreign archeologists and anthropologists for academic exercise.

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    The Curator praised Tabansi for bringing back the pride of the community as well as bringing professionals from National Museum and Monument, Enugu, to arrange the artifacts in the museum.

    On his part, Prince Tabansi, a former President General of Nri, said he moved to rebuild the museum having watched the antiquity reduce to rubbles and in fulfillment of the wish of his late father who was regent of the kingdom.

    He said, “I’m happy that the old glory is coming back. Those artifacts displayed in the museum have shown that Ndigbo can produce what they need despite its crude nature.

    “Particularly, Nri people have been technologically informed right from the 13th century when we started creating instruments from iron.

    “The new museum would be officially opened by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo in December and we shall honour Onwuejiogwu for his contributions to the kingdom on his literal works about Nri hegemony.”

    Nri is the historical ancestral kingdom and cradle of Igbo civilisation while the Odinani Museum is the collection house for valued cultural antiquities that depict the origin and history of the Igbo nation.

  • Man arrested for killing trailer driver in Anambra

    A 25-year old man, Alonna Onuigwe, has been arrested by the police for allegedly killing a trailer driver at Oba, Anambra State.

    The deceased, Felix Aigbogie, 23, a native of Calabar, Cross Rivers State, was reportedly killed along Onitsha/Owerri road at about 2am following a scuffle.

    The Nation gathered that the suspect, of Umumpama Village Oba in Idemili South local government area of the State, conspired with his accomplices to attack the driver.

    Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Haruna Mohammed, said the suspect has been arrested, while his accomplices were still at large.

    “On the 7/12/2018 at about 9:30pm, Police detectives attached to Ojoto Division arrested one Alonna Onuigwe ‘m’ aged 25 years of Umumpama Village Oba in Idemili South LGA of Anambra State.

    “Suspect allegedly conspired with others still at large, attacked and killed a trailer driver one Felix Aigbogie ‘m” aged 23 years of Calabar, Cross Rivers State on the 7/12/2018,” he said.

    He said the case was being investigated to ascertain circumstances surrounding the incident.

    “Effort are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects and bring them to justice,” Mohammed assured.

    Similarly, a 24 year old man, Chukwudi Onuchukwu was also arrested for allegedly inflicting injuries on one Dr. Nnabuchi Obinna.

    The suspect, a native of Obofia Nnewichi Nnewi, was reportedly apprehended by the police in conjunction with vigilante group in the area.

    The Police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the arrest, said the suspect attacked the victim with a sharp cutlass while attempting to rob him of his Toyota Corola car.

    He said the cutlass was recovered from the suspect as exhibit in his possession, adding that the victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

    Mohammed added that the case was being investigated after which the suspect would be charged to court for prosecution

  • Court sacks Anambra APC chairman

    A Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra on Thursday nullified the election of Mr Emeka Ibe as the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    Chief Uzochukwu Onyekwere, a member of the APC in Anambra and chairmanship aspirant had gone to court to contest the May 19 state elective congress that brought in Ibe, over unlawful exclusion.

    Defendants in the suit were Okey Ezea, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, Chairman of the APC Congress Committee in Anambra, Ibe, the acclaimed winner and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Onyekwere prayed the court that he was a bona-fide member of APC and was entitled to aspire for the office the party’s chairman in Anambra.

    He sought declaration that the exercise was not conducted in accordance with the provisions of Section 223 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and Article 20 of the APC constitution 2017 as amended.

    He said the intendment of those provisions was that all elections would be through democratic voting and that the exercise fell short of it.

    Ibeh sought a declaration that he would not be punished after seeking justice through the court and that the May 19, 2018 Anambra APC congress be set aside.

    In his over two hours ruling, Justice Bature Gafai dismissed the counter affidavits of defendants which contended that the court did not have jurisdiction over the matter as it was an internal party affair.

    Gafai said the plaintiff being a bona-fide of the party and having paid the mandatory nomination fee had the right to fair contest.

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    He nullified the election into the APC chairmanship position and ordered a re-run which INEC should supervise.

    The judge who did not grant the damage of N100 million sought by the plaintiff however, did not give that for the repeat of the election.

    But in a swift reaction, Chief Tagbo Ike, counsel to the petitioner applauded the court for the judgment and speedy dispensation of justice.

    Ike, who described the election as a `sham’ said it was sad that a few people sat and produced their stooges as consensus and harmonised candidates and forced them on the people.

    Ike said he would convey judgment to the party hierarchy for appropriate action.

    The plaintiff, Onyekwere also lauded the court adding that he had been vindicated.

    Onyekwere said he would go back and prepare for a congress election that would reflect the minds of the generality of party faithful.

    “I thank God, if you must go to equity you have to go with clean hands, I have maintained that there was no congress in Anambra and the court has confirmed it.

    “I will go and prepare, if I win, I win and if I lose I will be happy that justice has been served,” he said.

  • Anambra donates N350,000 to fake blind persons

    The Anambra Government yesterday donated N50,000 cash and some items to each of the seven persons caught feigning blindness and using underage children to beg for alms in the state.

    Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs Mrs Ndidi Mezue, presented the donations to them in Awka, warning them to keep off street-begging.

    Mezue urged them to set up small scale businesses of their choice with the cash donations and improve their lives with the food items.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items included cartons of noodles, bags of rice, laundry products, beverages and clothes.

    “Anyone caught in the future begging in this manner would be handed over to the police for prosecution,’’ the commissioner warned.

    She told residents to be cautious of type of persons they offered alms, stressing that many of those parading the streets as handicapped were mere pretenders.

    Responding on behalf others, a beneficiary simply identified as Nneka commended the state government for the gesture.

    She gave the assurance that they would use the money and other items donated to them prudently and stay off street begging.

    NAN recalls that the commissioner had on November 28, effected arrest of beggars for feigning visual impairment and begging with the aid of underage children.

    NAN also recalls that areas raided by the commissioner in company of some social workers from her ministry included Amawbia Roundabout, Awka, Upper Iweka Flyover and Onitsha.

    Before then, the state government had carried out sanitisation exercise to evacuate all beggars off the streets of Awka and other major cities.

    The commissioner said the raid was done in line with the directive of Governor Willie Obiano to create a decent environment for residents of the state ahead of the yuletide season.

  • Lawyers protest colleague’s detention in Anambra

    Over 50 lawyers yesterday protested alleged assault and detention of their colleague, Ivy Arinze, at Otuocha in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    Arinze was allegedly detained on the order of Otuocha Police Area Commander, Mr Abdul Osu, following his call for peaceful settlement of a case.

    The Chairman of Idemili branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) P. A. Asame said the lawyer was at the area command to carry out his lawful duties when he was assaulted and detained on Osu’s alleged order.

    “Our colleague, Ivy Arinze, from Idemili NBA, was assaulted and detained on the order of the Otuocha Police Area Commander while he was calling for peaceful settlement of a case.

    “This is least of what I expect and we can’t take it like this. We are proceeding to court immediately. The lawyer was only asking parties for amicable settlement; that is all,” Asame said.

    Another lawyer, Path Agbata, condemned the action, saying it was “unbecoming of a senior police officer like the area commander” to issue such order.

    The Nation gathered that police officers took over the scene to restore normalcy as well as protect their boss from likely attack.

    More lawyers from Idemili NBA were trooping into the area at the time of filing this report.

    Police spokesperson Haruna Mohammed, a Superintendent of Police (SP), promised to get back to our reporter over the matter.