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Tag: Ebonyi

  • Commissioner, journalists, others attacked in Ebonyi

    Ebonyi Commissioner for Environment, Barr David Egbu, was yesterday attacked by some motor park touts and artisans at the popular Ezzamgbo junction in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the State.

    The irate mob also attacked some reporters with national and local media organisations, environmental tasks force team members and some ministry staff who joined the commissioner to monitor yesterday’s sanitation exercise.

    The touts, numbering over 50, vandalised the commissioner’s official vehicle and beat up the state correspondent of National Mirror Newspaper, Mr. Godwin Aluina as well as an official of the Elite Security Agency.

    They also attempted destroying the video camera of Ebonyi State Broadcasting Corporation (EBBC).

    It was gathered that trouble started when the team arrived the Ezzamgbo junction motor park to monitor the level of compliance with the monthly exercise.

    An eyewitness said: “On getting to the junction, the Commissioner for Environment observed that people were carrying out their commercial activities unrestricted.

    “On sighting the commissioner and his team, most of them ignored him and continued their businesses.

    “The commissioner ordered that they be stopped and their equipment confiscated.”

    The security agents and the task force confiscated some vulcanising machines and took them into the Hilux van of the commissioner.

    It was learnt that immediately a man suspected to be the chairman of the park ordered his boys to bring down the confiscated machines.

    An eyewitness said: “Immediately, over 50 touts and artisans besieged the task force team and surrounded the commissioner’s vehicle and started bringing down the machines.

    “When the team attempted stopping them, the touts ran inside the park, carried stones, log of woods, axes, machetes and other dangerous weapons and attacked the team.

    “The commissioner, journalists and some task force members had to escape from the scene but the touts started throwing stones and other dangerous items at the official vehicle of the commissioner and the bus conveying reporters.

    “They also got hold of one of the security team members and beat him to a pulp while others descended on the National Mirror correspondent, Mr. Godwin Aliuna, hitting him with wood.”

    It was also gathered that all pleas made by reporters and members of the task force for the police team on duty at the junction to help rescue the journalist and the security agent proved abortive.

    The police team, it was gathered, drove out of the scene of the incident.

    In Onu-Ebonyi in Abakaliki Local Government Area, the task force team was also attacked by irate youths.

    The driver of the bus, who did not give his name, said when he alighted to urinate, over 30 youths pounced on them.

    He noted that they had to abandon their vehicle, which was later vandalised.

    The commissioner blamed the attacks on council chairmen for not sensitising their subjects on the need to comply with the sanitation exercise.

  • Flooding: Ebonyi on the precipice

    Flooding: Ebonyi on the precipice

    Flooding and erosion continue to threaten Ebonyi State, laeingd to loss of lives and destruction of properties.

    In 2012, devastating floods ravaged 14 states in Nigeria, killing an estimated 363 people and displacing 2.1 million people. Also 597,476 houses were destroyed while several farmlands and livestock were destroyed. In all, more than seven million people were affected by the flood.

    Ebonyi State was among the 14 states affected by the flood with at least three people confirmed dead and thousands of others displaced.

    In 2013, the state witnessed more severe flooding.

    According to the state governor, Martin Elechi, the 2013 flood disaster displaced about 332,938 persons in different parts of the state.

    He also said the effect of flooding, gully erosion and other natural disasters in the state has been so devastating and had caused the loss of property estimated at several billions of Naira, including cash crops and other agricultural produce.

    The state is also ravaged by gully erosion which is rampant in most local government areas of the country.

    But the worst hit is Afikpo South Local Government Area which has over 21 erosion sites.

    At present, erosion has so far submerged three buildings in the local government headquarters while the administrative building which houses the offices of key officers of the council, including the Chairman, is also at the risk of caving in any moment.

    The situation forced the council administration to construct a new 40 room administrative building in another part of the local government area to relocate the workers.

    The town, it was gathered, is in imminent danger of being cut off from their neighbours as the erosion is fast encroaching into the roads built by the state government which link the community with her neighbours.

    Already, the road linking the community with Ohafia in Abia State has collapsed, forcing motorists and other road users to resort to using track roads in order to connect the two communities. This situation has brought indescribable hardship on the people.

    In a bid to tackle the menace, the state government recently launched the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), which is a World Bank-assisted project for Ebonyi State.

    The Governor, during the launch at the Women Development Centre (WDC), expressed his hope that the intervention of NEWMAP would rewrite the ugly trend.

    Elechi further said the state government, in conjunction with the Federal Government, had put in series of intervention measures aimed at controlling and containing flood and erosion menace in the capital city.

    “I wish to implore you to kindly take time off your schedule to visit some of the major flood and erosion sites to appreciate ongoing remedial measures being put in place by the state in conjunction with the Federal Government.

    “Survey shows that Southeast zone of the country is at imminent danger as gully erosion alone contributes to environmental degradation and other associated damage estimated at millions of dollars annually.

    “It is for this reason that the Federal Government solicited the support of the World Bank and the response of the bank gave rise to the NEWMAP,’’ Governor Elechi said.

    He further commended the World Bank for its timely response to this daunting challenge and for its many partnering developmental initiatives in the state.

    He enumerated areas of assistance to include HIV and AIDS, Community-based Urban Development Project (CBUDP), Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) and Health System Development Project (HSDP), among others.

    Mr Amos Abu who is the task team leader of NEWMAP commended federal and state governments for tackling challenges of erosion menace, especially in the Southeast zone of the country.

    He said NEWMAP would collaborate with relevant stakeholders to address the problem of flooding and gully erosion in Ebonyi State.

    “Ebonyi State is the first among the five southeast states to key into the NEWMAP programme and we are optimistic that the project will go a long way in tackling the flooding and erosion menace in the state,” he said.

     

  • Ebonyi builds modern state capital  

    Ebonyi builds modern state capital  

    When Governor Martin Elechi assumed office as the second civilian governor of Ebonyi State, he said that he would prioritise every aspect of his administration because of the need to improve the well-being and status of his people in all sectors.

    His government, he said, will be anchored on three cardinal agenda namely civil service reform, attitudinal change and infrastructural development.

    To actualise these dreams, the government rolled out several strategies toward making the state a place and home for all, including awarding contracts for constructions of over 30 unity bridges, roads and two mega water projects at Oferekpe and Ukawu in Ikwo Local Government Area and Onicha Local Government Area respectively.

    On attitudinal change, the governor promised a reward for good quality and sanctions for bad behaviour, even following up with  public enlightenment.

    In his quest to make Abakaliki, the capital city, look like a modern city that will not only stand the test of time but also compete favourably with other state capitals in the country, Governor Elechi conceived the vision and idea of Ucho Udo City.

    Ochudo City is a modern city that will bring forth the beauty of Ebonyi State which goes by the tag of “the salt of the nation”. To actualise this the governor went to the Ministry of Defence to plead for a portion of their land to be ceded to the state government for him to try out the city of his vision.

    The Ministry of Defence granted his request and gave the state government land measuring about 1, 200 hectares. Since then, the government has been developing the land in which some gigantic buildings are being elected while some federal agencies like Central Bank, State Security Service and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have started erecting structures, some of which have been completed.

    In a chat with our correspondent, the Commissioner for Land, Survey and Housing Friday Nwaoha said the Ochudo City was the brainchild of the governor, who was in the forefront for the creation of the state and seeing that the present structures in the capital city do not qualify Abakaliki a status of a capital city.

    The commissioner stated that the state government, after securing the land from the Army, went into action to develop the land and the design was completed where the proposed Ucho Udo City was divided into 23 zones namely residential area, low and high density, government reservation area (GRA), commercial area, secretariat area, banking area and others.

    According to Nwaoha, some zones are being developed which include the secretariat where government is constructing secretariat buildings for the civil servants.

    He noted that the governor, after appraising the old city where the ministries were scattered and noting that connecting one ministry to the other is taxing, he decided to create an enabling environment for the civil service. So, the governor went to zone 17 which is the secretariat zone and put up about 11 gigantic blocks in place to accommodate all the civil servants.

    In each of the blocks, the commissioner said, two ministries can comfortable be accommodated to grant optimal service delivery to the people of the state and even beyond, adding that nine blocks have two lifts while the rest have three lifts each.

    He said the buildings which have been completed and are waiting inauguration cost the state government over N16 billion, even as he said that apart from the secretariat blocks, the road network of the entire Ucho Udo City, the street lights, the drainage system and the recreational facilities have been completed.

    “As I speak, the Central Bank, State Security Service and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) buildings have been completed while the giant power plant that the state is embarking upon are nearing completion.

    “Apart from these areas, at the residential zone action is on top gear for the allocation of land to those that applied for development, maintaining that Ucho Udo City is a reality and before the tenure of this administration elapses, the place must be a modern city that will give the state capital a face look,” he said.

    Before taking over the land, three communities namely Agbaja Unuhu, Enyimagu Unuhu and Igbeagu communites were occupying the ceded land in which they were asked to move from. This resulted in demonstration by the three communities.

    The commissioner said the communities knew they were occupying the land illegally, adding that the government, in its magnanimity, has carved out a community layout that will accommodate them.

    He added that the Ministry of Defence said the communities were well and dully compensated.

    On when the whole city will be ready, the commissioner said “we don’t have definite date for the completion. The total development of the city may be this year, next year or beyond. It will be a gradual process.

    It is now certain that Ucho Udo City has come to stay and will compete with any other cities in the world when completed. But what is in the mind of the people are when will these dreams materialise?

  • Ebonyi community tense over mining

    •Minister, DSS, CP petitioned

    Mining lead has brought more than joy to the community. Blood and tears have also come with it.

    There is appreciable tension in Umuobii Ekka community in Ebonyi State following the stoppage of work at a lead mining site in the village by some angry youths protesting discrimination, neglect and violation of their rights.

    Some stakeholders allegedly sent thugs to disperse the youths to enable the miners resume their business but the community would rather the youths’ demands were addressed.

    The community petitioned the Minister for Mining and Steel Development through the mining officer in Abakaliki, and the traditional ruler of Ekka community calling for a review of agreement entered into before the mining started.

    Umuobii Ekka Development Union in a petition to the Minister, the police and the State Security Service (SSS) signed by the chairman of the community, Nwaka Felix and the youth president, Nworie Sunday, said only their intervention could save the situation.

    They appealed to the minister in a petition entitled “Report of violation and discrimination of our rights,” lamenting that they have been assaulted, humiliated and dehumanised even in their own land since mining of lead for commercial use started there.

    The petition reads: ‘We, the people of Umuobii wish to express our grief and neglect based on how we are being treated since the issue of mining project came up. We have been humiliated, assaulted and dehumanised. The kind of discrimination bestowed on us has intoxication and difficulties which is the arrangement and plans of the stake holder and our traditional rule in particular.

    “Therefore, the initial arrangement before commencement of the work was violated and abandoned which brought about this information. There was no proper negotiation between the host village and the community at large, we have never being given official consultation or called for dialogue. Besides, the strategic way they put the project made it to have the tendency of individual interest, which the village disagreed with, for its incompatibility, inducement, and of undue influence which might lead to oppositions.

    “And the people of Umuobii have such perception and decided to disagree with such inhuman arrangement as it lacked mutual co-existence, no compromise, no consensus and iota of relationship of trust between the host village and stake-holders.

    Umuobii people lamented that they were not carried along and were disengaged by the stakeholders during the negotiation of agreement between the mining team and the community when they supposed to be carried along.

    “However, the people of Umuobii were disengaged during the preparation of agreement that will drive the mining project. God is not foolish when he planted such mineral there, we need strategies that are essential to positive approach, and we need to be carried along. We need opportunities for transformation and development. We believe that these means are to develop procedure for identifying conflict that are yet to come and put a stop to it.

    Meanwhile, it is the duty of the host village to choose somebody that has no questionable character and as well allowed to hear their view in the new agreement that are yet to come because the last one lacked good representation of the host village.

    “So the village Umuobii has suffered neglect: since creation of the earth by the community leaders, there has never being any dividend we have ever receive our share ,we have never received any portion of the community communal land, no allocation of government appointment that has ever reached our us. And we always agitate for it, and we have being struggling to be part of, and our agitation is to be allowed to be part of the decision and as to receive our percentage.

    “In addition, the only preventive approach to combat this potential conflict is divine intervention, resolution and proper mediation at this pre-conflict stage as planned by the stake holders  and not by deploying thugs in the arena of the mining. And right now we the Umuobii do not believe in crisis which shows that we are peacemakers. We are crying because our rights have been breached, we have been embarrassed, during the bargaining process, and we have being consciously oppressed. And this is the fact that sufficient ground for us to put our bargaining power was not given to us…

    “We believe the principle of equality before the law. We believe in the principle of social value, substantive and distributive justice which states that one should be allowed to earn his due.

    The community appealed to Senator Paulinus Igwe, Senate Committee Chairman on Police representing their senatorial zone and Hon Ede representing Isienu-Ezza federal constituency to call the people trying to undermine the villagers to order. They said only Senator Igwe built a hospital in Ndiagu which is the only government presence there.

    The community in another letter to the traditional ruler of Ekka community, Igwe Fidelis Ekechi Chukwu further said that the people of Umuobii have agreed and stated that this sharing formula should be observed and the host village of the mining land has to be treated as required if this mining project should succeed.

    The community said it is unthinkable for anyone to deny them the benefits of a mining field in their backyard. They insist that Umuobii village must be given 50 per cent as hosts of the mining field.

    The Umuobii village also demanded that their residents should get 60 per cent of any scholarship coming to the area.

  • Ebonyi steps up mother-child healthcare

    The wife of Ebonyi State governor, Mrs Josephine Elechi set the tone. Determined to scale back infant and maternal mortality rate in the state, she established the Mother and Child Care Initiative (MCCI).

    Since the inception of the programme a few years ago, the state has witnessed a great reduction in the death of mothers and their children.

    The downward trend can be attributed to various interventions of government through the MCCI in collaboration with development partners such as UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, USAID etc.

    Taking a cue from Mrs Elechi, Ohaozara Local Government Area  has also flagged off its maternal and child health week.

    The event was hosted by Okposi Development Centre led by a veteran journalist and public relations expert, Mr Magnus Eze.

    In his remarks at the occassion, Mr Eze,  advised expectant mothers not to patronise quack child-delivery centres.

    Eze noted that such patronage has inherent dangers that could lead to death of women and children.

    “They should instead use the various health facilities provided in the area, as we have embarked on aggressive enlightenment campaign to sensitise expectant mothers on the benefits of using the health facilities for childbirth.”

    He urged them not be deceived because most of the child-delivery centres are owned by nurses, as they do not have the necessary facilities needed for safe child-birth.

    He continued, “The common childhood killer diseases include Diarrhea Disease, Malaria, Pneumonia, Malnutrition and Measles”.

    “All these conditions are preventable and treatable and we must not allow them to claim the lives of our children in Ohaozara Local Government Area”.

    “There is a whole lot to be done. No woman deserves to die in the process of giving life. That is where we commend and celebrate the efforts of the wife of our dear Governor, Chief Mrs. Josephine Elechi”.

    “Her giant strides in the area of maternal and child health through the Mother and Child Care Initiative (MCCI) is second to none in Nigeria”.

    “More than ever before, Okposi Development Centre is going to strengthen the primary health care system to provide more effective and  satisfactory maternal and child health services including antenatal care, immunization etc”.

    “We are going to carry out massive and aggressive sensitization campaigns, through community education and public enlightenment in all the healthcare facilities, markets, churches and other public institutions across the twelve villages that make up the Development Centre.

    Every mother and child counts!”

    Chairman of Ohaozara local government area Hon Ogbuefi Enekwachi Akpa, called on expectant mothers in the area to bring out their children for immunization in order to make the programme successful.

    “The council has paid for all services to be provided during this period because we want to compliment the efforts of the Wife of the

    State Governor, Mrs Josephine Elechi in uplifting women and children.

    “Today, we have assembled to further the frontiers of the fight against infant and maternal mortality and morbidity”.

  • Ebonyi community gets electricity, first time ever

    Ebonyi community gets electricity, first time ever

    The long days of darkness are over. Since it was founded, Okpuma never had electricity. Now it does, and its residents are relishing the sweet relief.

    The fact that Okpuma in Edda East Development Centre of Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State was never connected to the national grid reveals the poor condition of rural dwellers, but it also highlights the need for the Federal Government to sustain the third tier of government in the country.

    Until recently, nobody knew that the people of Okpuma in Amangwu community in Edda East Development Centre had never enjoyed public power since their community came into existence. But the story changed when the state governor Martin Elechi appointed Mr Kenneth Eseni as the Coordinator of the development centre in the area.

    Mr Eseni, a journalist and former General Manager in charge of South East operations of Daar Communications Plc, operators of Africa Independent Television (AIT), Raypower and Daarsat, is of the school of thought that developmental initiatives and provision of infrastructural facilities should not be concentrated in a particular geographical zone but rather allowed to spread evenly across all nooks and crannies of the state.

    The community was marginalised by previous administrations which seemed only interested in the residents’ votes, not meeting their needs.

    In a chat with th reporter, Eseni said the council approved the sum of N9 million for the electrification project.

    He said: “This community never had electricity since the creation of the world. They have never had light all through their history; since the creation of humanity, this community has never seen public electricity. It is not that they had light and it went down; they have never seen public electricity; whatever light they have seen was through power generating sets.

    “We are taking this light from the high tension that is running from Amasiri down to Amangwu because we feel that this community has been so long neglected by previous administrations and we feel that their socio-economic life needed be turned around.

    “Since Amangwu community where Okpuma belongs to already has light, it is just morally justifiable that we give Okpuma light, and after this project we are moving power to Asaga from Amangwu; we are extending it from the high tension from Amangwu to Asaga via Owutu.

    “We have for some time now seen that Owutu took light from the Unwana axis and the power supply there has been quite epileptic to the extent that for several months, they don’t have light. The Amasiri-Amangwu route is more reliable and our people are clamouring for a better power supply. That is why our administration through the directive of the Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi has concentrated much of our capital into this kind of project.

    “We see rural electrification as a key project that will turn around the economy of Edda East Development Centre and that is why we intend extending it from Amangwu through Asaga to Owutu and of course we will move into other parts of Edda east development centre. I can assure you that this project will be completed after the next ten days.

    “We identify the projects we want to execute and do appropriate costing and also categorise them so as to know those that are capital intensive and those that are routine.

    Maintenance of roads is a routine project, so we don’t really see them as capital intensive. Now from day one, we started saving; like this electrification project that is N9 million, you can’t just remove the cash from the monthly allocation at once, so we have to save it”.

    Expressing joy over the electrification project, a community leader in the area, Sunday Ogbonnaya, stated that the project was a welcome development.

    “Previous administrations have been coming to us with their campaign promises without fulfilling them but this young man between one to three months in office said enough was enough on lack of power in our community.

    “I’m very happy over this project; I say this project is sweeter than sugar for us in this community; we are happy. I’m reminding those in political office to emulate what our Coordinator is doing for us here. The Coordinator has brought democracy dividend to us and we are happy. Politicians occupying various positions should use their office to assist the poor and downtrodden masses like you. We are located at the boundary between Afikpo North and South LGAs of the state.

    “With this light, water will come; the youths and aged among us have promised that the materials will be secured; we are 100 percent prepared to ensure that all the materials for this project are adequately protected,” he assured.

  • Ebonyi rice goes international

    Gov. Martin Elechi of Ebonyi over the weekend said that rice produced in the state had moved into markets in Europe and the United States.

    Elechi said that the rice was being produced from “Satake Mills” established by the state government at the cost of N1.29 billion.

    He made the disclosure when he spoke at Ebonyi Day at the ongoing 24th Enugu International Trade Fair in Enugu.

    He said that the rice was being sold in large quantities in London, Canada, Florida and other parts of Europe.

    The governor described it as a “breakthrough which has enhanced the glory of the state in rice production”.

    Represented by Dr Ifeanyi Ike, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Elechi said that the quality of the rice produced from the mills facilitated its acceptance in the global market.

    He said that three mills were established under the “Satake” mills which the state government imported from Japan and cited in each of the three senatorial districts.

    He said that the mills had a combined production capacity of 15 tonnes of milled and packaged rice per hour “at full capacity”.

    Elechi said that the state government had distributed high-yielding varieties of rice, along with necessary agro-inputs to rice farmers “in order to sustain the mills at full capacity”.

    He also said that the government had established a tractor-hiring centre, and announced that “our government has opened all frontiers that will enable genuine investors to come to the state”.

    The governor said that the Ebonyi International Market, which he described, as the “longest high-rise building” in the South-East had attained 98 per cent completion.

    “We also constructed 34 ‘bridges of unity’ to link all local government areas to the state capital,” he added.

  • Kidnappers kill ex-Ebonyi council boss

    The Former Coordinator of Okposi Development Center, Hon Ihebunandu Okorie has been reportedly killed by his abductors in a forest located in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    Hon Okorie according to a source close to the family who pleaded anonymity said that the former Coordinator’s body was found laying in the pool of his own blood in the forest today.
    He was abducted inside the premises of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Obioha Okposi by unknown gunmen at about 1 pm on the 16th of March 2014 after attending a church service in the area.

    When contacted, the State Police spokesman, ASP Chris Anyanwu who confirmed the incident said that the command would brief the press on the details of the incident tomorrow.

  • Untitled post 213905

    THE Ebonyi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) has condemned the fifteen billion naira bond being proposed from the capital market by the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi. The party argued that taking another loan, with barely a year to the end of his administration was an attempt to strangulate the state financially and economically. In a communiqué issued at the end of its stakeholders meeting in Abakaliki, the party contended that the Elechi-led administration was the worst thing to happen to the state. The party noted that “no identifiable achievement in the last seven years, yet the debt owed by this government is unprecedented in the history of this state. And any further loan will simply mortgage the future of the people of Ebonyi State. “We wish to serve a notice to the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the banks that, should they go ahead and execute this loan facility, the incoming administration will not bear the burden of repayment because Ebonyians are tired of being in perpetual bondage.” The APC also alleged that the bond issue is being proposed for the purposes of executing the 2015 general election by the state government in favour of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The party called on the people of the state to accept and embrace the wind of change of APC, promising that, “APC will change the fortune of the state and take Ebonyians out of the longsuffering and bondage which the present government has brought upon them.”

  • Ex-Ebonyi council boss’ kidnappers demand N50m ransom

    Ex-Ebonyi council boss’ kidnappers demand N50m ransom

    The abductors of former Ebonyi council boss, who was kidnapped last Sunday inside a church in his hometown have made a ransom demand of N50 million, The Nation authoritatively gathered Thursday.

    This is even as the Police in the state have intensified efforts to track down and rescue the victim by deploying a special task force to the area.

    Also, more facts emerged as to how the kidnapping of the Coordinator was carried out with an eyewitness telling our reporter that one of the kidnappers on reconnaissance mission sat beside the victim during the Church service.

    The gun wielding able bodied men, five in number, had besieged the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Okposi, Ohaozara Local Government, Ebonyi State and captured Elder Ihebunandu Okorie, the immediate past Coordinator of Okposi Development Centre at the end of the church service.

    An eyewitness, who spoke to our reporter in confidence, said that a green coloured Mercedes Benz 230 V-Booth with Lagos plate number AS 559 KJA drove into the Church premises and parked behind the former Coordinator’s vehicle while the driver remained inside listening to music from the car.

    He said no one knew when one of the kidnappers tiptoed into the Church and sat beside Mr. Ihebunandu, an Elder in the Church.

    “He (the kidnapper) kept fondling his handset throughout his stay in the Church hall while the sermon lasted. At the end of the service the former Coordinator came out of the Church and went straight to his car.

    “The kidnapper trailed him from inside the Church to his car, a Toyota Four Runner Jeep with Ebonyi plate number, NCA 94 AA, and as he was about driving off, the suspect intercepted the victim at gun point and took control of his vehicle.”

    While Elder Ihebunandu was being ordered around in his car, three other co-suspected abductors stormed out with three AK 47 rifle each from opposite the Church building and opened fire at the Mercedes V-Booth they had stormed the Church with, shooting repeatedly at the car’s fuel tank ostensibly to get it on fire to burn beyond recognition, but the V-Booth Benz car did not ignite.

    The abductors zoomed off from the Church towards Okposi – Amasiri express road, while the Church members scampered to safety.

    The presiding minister Rev. Michael Ani had impulsively kept shouting on top of his voice from the pulpit questioning, “who was shooting that in the church?.

    When it dawned on him that it was kidnappers, he ran into the vestry and quickly made some phone calls and those he called helped to contact security operatives from within the Ohaozara and Afikpo Area Command.

    In less than two hours that the incident happened, the abductors phoned the victim’s wife, demanding the sum of N50m ransom, later at the wee hours of the night, 12:15am, another phone call came from the abductor’s reducing the sum to N30m.

    Meanwhile, Police sources said the command swung into action immediately and every effort made to trap the fleeing abductors and their victim failed.

    The following day information filtered in that the abductors drove through Erei farm settlement, a border community between Ebonyi State and Cross River.

    The over 120 strong combined teams of police detectives drawn from all the Divisional Headquarters’ in Ebonyi South zone and from the State Command stormed the area where the kidnappers were last seen.

    On arrival they cordoned off the forest and carried out a search during which they discovered the victim’s Toyota Four Runner Jeep burnt.

    There were no gun shots at the vehicle, but investigations suggest that the vehicle ran out of fuel and that incensed the abductors into cutting off the fuel hose before the car was set ablaze.

    Police spokesman, Chris Anyanwu confirmed the discovery of the victim’s car to our correspondent and said the police have intensified efforts to rescue the victim and arrest the kidnappers.