The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ariaria

  • Relief as Abia lifts curfew

    Relief as Abia lifts curfew

    Residents of Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State and its environs have hissed sigh of relief following the decision of the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to lift the curfew imposed on Aba at the heat of the crisis that erupted between members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and personnel of the Nigerian Army.

    Ikpeazu had on September 12 imposed 6pm to 6am indefinite curfew on Aba which later changed to 10pm to 6am as a security measure to restrict movement of people while government and other security agencies in the state were making frantic efforts to contain the security threats in Aba after yet-to-be identified persons set the Ariaria Police Station ablaze using petrol bomb.

    Residents who spoke to our reporter on Thursday stated that they were happy that the governor has decided to lift the curfew.

    They expressed hope that night life which has been grounded in the past one month would gradually come alive as it was the case in the past.

    A fast food vendor who identified himself as Kelechi who sells food at night near Aba Main Park lamented the effect of the curfew on his business, stating “business has been at its lowest ebb in the last one month due to the government’s restriction on movement of people and vehicles in and out of Aba.

    “With this ban on movement of vehicles and persons being lifted and trading hours now elongated, we expect that our night business will improve. We expect that social life will also improve”.

    A shoe maker at Ariaria International market who corroborated Kelechi’s position said that they (shoe makers) would be at the advantage of the end of the curfew as they expect to have more customers from different parts of Africa coming to buy from them especially as they approach November when many people come to buy what they will sell or use for Christmas.

    A release issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Mr. Enyinnaya Appolos said that the state government after reviewing the security situation in Aba and its environs decided to rest the curfew because of the improved security situation and peace which has since returned to Aba after the unrest.

    According to the release, the Governor thanked heads of security agencies in the state for rising to the challenge of nipping insecurity in the bud and also called on Aba residents and visitors to the commercial city to remain vigilant while they go about their lawful businesses without any fear of intimidation and harassment by any person.

    “The Governor wishes to also express his appreciation to Aba residents, visitors and security agents for ensuring compliance with the curfew which was imposed to ensure the preservation of lives and properties.

    Governor Ikpeazu wishes to appeal to residents and visitors to remain vigilant to ensure that the prevailing peace and tranquility in the commercial city is not threatened or breached.”

  • Agency to demolish ‘illegal’ structures at Ariaria

    A committee set up by the Abia State Government to restore the master plan of major markets, including Ariaria International Market in Aba, has said it will soon being demolition of illegal structures in the market.

    The Chairman of the state’s Market Development Committee, Solomon Nwaigwe, who addressed reporters in Aba solicited the corporation of traders and shop owners for the proposed remodelling of the market.

    The chairman decried the level of decay in the market, saying its perennial flooding reflected the attitude of the traders who he accused building illegal structures on top of the drainage.

    He also accused them of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the waterways, forcing water to overflow the gutters into shops.

    According to him, part of the committee’s mandate is to restore the master plan of the market and ensure that it retains its international standard.

    Nwaigwe said: “It might interest you to know that we have carefully carried out proper checks at the market. In our checks, we discovered that the traders built lockup shops on top of drainages.

  • Police await report on Ariaria killing

    Abia State Police Command is waiting for reports from ballisticians to conclude investigations into the killing of innocent shoemakers at Ariaria International Market, Aba by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    The dead have been buried, but the police said they were yet to conclude investigations in the matter. They are waiting for the result of bullet specialists to determine the particular security agency using the bullet(s) used in the shootings.

    NDLEA officials arrested in connection with the shootings have been granted bail, pending the outcome of a full investigation into the matter.

    Sources that preferred not to be named revealed that a comprehensive investigation into the killings had become necessary as there were complications over the government agency that was authorised to use the type of bullet recovered from the Ariaria shooting scene.

    Investigations revealed that though traders accused NDLEA officials of the alleged shooting of their colleagues, the Abia State Commander of NDLEA, Dele Akingbade, would not agree with the traders’ accusation, leading to a comprehensive investigation to determine whether the bullets belonged to NDLEA, police or army who were called in to quell the situation.

    Abia State Police Public Relations Officer Ezekiel Udeviotu Onyeke, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said: “The bullets found at the scene of the incident have been forwarded to Ballisticians in Lagos for examination and proper analyses but we are yet to get their report.

    “We are waiting for their report which will bring the investigation to a logical conclusion and determine the next line of action.”

    According to him, the Abia State NDLEA Commander, Mr. Akingbade took all of them on bond, adding that the body of one of the victims has also been released to his people for burial.

     

  • 11 NDLEA personnel in police net over alleged Ariaria killings

    11 NDLEA personnel in police net over alleged Ariaria killings

    Police in Abia State on Friday said 11 personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement (NDLEA) who allegedly raided the drug section of Ariaria Market, Aba, on July 31, had been arrested.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr Udeviotu Onyeke, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba.

    It will be recalled that in the raid on drug hotspot popularly known as ‘’Black kingdom’’ allegedly carried out a combined team of NDLEA, Army and the Police, two persons were confirmed dead, while six others sustained various degrees of bullet wounds.

    Onyeke said that the suspects, though participated in the raid, may not be responsible for the killings, explaining that they were all taken into custody to aid investigations.

    He said that the investigation may not be completed quickly because the persons involved were security agents and not ordinary civilians.

    According to him, if the investigations are done hurriedly, it may not bring satisfactory result, which is not what the people want.

    The PPRO said that any of the suspects found liable may not be taken straight to court for trial ‘’because they are security agents’’.

    ‘’They will first go through certain internal procedures and punishments by their organisations before they can be turned-in for court trials.

    “So, I urge the people to be patient so that the investigations will be done thoroughly and with satisfactory results,” he said.

  • Ariaria market for upgrade

    Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said the Ariaria International Market, Aba will be upgraded to meet international standards.

    In a statement, Ikpeazu, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Godwin Adindu, promised that the market would be upgraded with amenities and facilities to enhance business according to international best practices.

    The statement reads: “Upgrading of the Ariaria market is part of the government’s large-scale plan of a comprehensive infrastructural renewal of the commercial city of Aba which has begun with massive road construction and the desilting of drainages, gutters, storm water systems and flood channels”.

    Traders in the market have hailed Ikpeazu’s dream for the market.

    Meanwhile, the committee on Review and Revalidation of the market, led by Mr. Chigozie Osuala has been dissolved.

    The committee was directed to hand over documents, assets and property of government and of the market to the permanent secretary, Ministry of Environment.

    Ongoing projects and those yet to begin  were also invalidated.