The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ebonyi

  • Man dies in Ebonyi hotel

    A forty five-year old banker, Boniface Ndukaku, has died in a hotel in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

    A 21-year old undergraduate who is said to be his girlfriend, has been arrested.

    Ndukaku lived at Nkwagu Army Cantonment Barracks, Abakaliki.

    The 200 Level student of Micro-Biology department of Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, is from Mgbowo in Agwu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

    Police spokesman Sylvester Igbo confirmed that the girl had been arrested.

    He said: “ Last weekend, a man, Boniface Ndukaku (45), who lived at Nkwagu Army Cantonment Barracks, Abakaliki, took a lady to a hotel.

    “When they were through, the lady discovered that the man was not well.

    “She raised the alarm and the man’s wife was contacted.

    “Ndukaku was rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA), where he was confirmed dead.

    “The man’s remains have been deposited at the FETHA mortuary; the lady is helping the police in their investigation.”

  • Ebonyi to build N200m pipe factory

    The Ebonyi State government is to build a N200million pipe factory to produce pipes for reticulation from its two-mega water schemes.

    Commissioner for Information and State Orientation Chike Onwe said the factory would reduce the cost of the ongoing water reticulation project to all the local governments.

    “The government incurred heavy costs to import the pipes used for the reticulation. The factory’s construction would reduce costs by 60 per cent and it would also generate employment and make the state a leading pipe factory.

    “The 52km distance from Oferekpe water scheme to Abakaliki alone cost the state N9.3billion. Now imagine the cost of reticulating the whole state of about 590km,”he said.

    Onwe said the state has identified a major raw material source in Bayelsa State where an agreement will be reached with it to supply the raw materials.

  • Baby factory: Two arrested in Ebonyi

    The police in Ebonyi State have arrested two suspects who were allegedly involved in the operation of a baby factory in Imo State.

    Police spokesman Sylvester Igbo said one of the suspects, Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, allegedly specialises in bringing expectant girls to Amaraku, Amaigbo in Nwangele Local Government Area, where the factory is located.

    Agwu was said to have taken a teenager, Uchechi Sunday, from Amasiri in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State to the “baby factory”, telling her he was taking her to a provision store to be employed as a sales girl.

    At the factory, Uchechi was shocked to discover that expectant girls were in the building.

    She remained there till June when she was delivered of her baby.

    Uchechi was taken to Okigwe, separated from her baby, and given N10,000 to go back to Amasiri.

    Angered by the development, her parents reported the incident to the police.

    Igbo said police investigation led to the arrest of the suspect and a nurse, Gloria Ezenwa, in Feziechi Hospital at Orlu, which served as a referral centre to the “baby factory”.

    The police spokesman said they would intensify efforts to ensure the arrest of the proprietor of the “baby factory”, Madam Favour, now at large.

    But Agwu said he was contacted by the proprietor to recruit three sales girls for her.

    He denied receiving money from the proprietor, whom he claimed ran a chemist’s shop in Orlu.

  • Ebonyi to train volunteer farmers

    Ebonyi to train volunteer farmers

    The Ebonyi State government has said that it had concluded arrangements for the training of 2,600 volunteer farmers in commercial farming.

    The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources,Mr Romanus Nwasum, told journalists in Abakaliki that the volunteer farmers would be drawn from the 13 local government areas of the state.

    ‘’The youth volunteer farmers will be trained on various techniques involved in modern agricultural practices as well as get exposed to the new technology involved in the business.’’

    He said that government was hoping that the skills acquired would assist them to embrace commercial farming.

    ‘’This initiative is in line with the state government’s transformation agenda in the agricultural sector of the economy and it is designed to encourage youths to venture into commercial farming.

    ‘’More so, the training will develop their capacity and enhance their skills for self-reliance as well as make them become employers of labour,’’ Nwasum said.

    He added that it would also expose them to different branches of agricultural production such as rice farming, animal husbandry, fishery, bee-keeping, snail-rearing and piggery, among others.

    The commissioner said that the initiative was part of the government’s transformation agenda in the agriculture sector of the economy, adding that, it was aimed at boosting food production in the state.

    He described commercial agriculture as a lucrative business and called on the youth to develop interest in farming to improve their revenue base with a view to boosting the nation’s economy.

  • ‘Onu not Ebonyi APC leader’

    Ebonyi State leaders of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have said Ogbonna Onu, former Chairman of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) is not the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The leaders, in a statement yesterday by Alhaji Kabiru Onyeka, State Chairman of the CPC and Pastor Eze Nwachukwu, Secretary (ACN) urged the public to disregard the reports credited to a former House of Reps member, Innocent Ugo Chima that Onu is the APC leader in Ebonyi.

    They said in line with the Southeast caucus decision, Sunday Jacob Chukwu, is the leader of the state chapter, until the national body formulates a template for the formation of state leaders of APC.

  • One killed, 2 hospitalised in Ebonyi kerosene explosion

    A  THIRTEEN-year-old girl, Chidera Nwoba, was feared dead yesterday during an explosion ignited by kerosene explosion at Mbukobe in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi state.

    Two others, namely: Chibueze Ugorji, eight-year old from Isukwatu in Abia state and Uche Kalueze, six years old, from Akaeze in Ivo council area of the state were burnt beyond recognition in two other separate incidents and are now in critical conditions at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki(FETHA) due to the explosion suspected to have been caused by adulterated kerosene.

    It was gathered that the explosions affected three different families who all claimed to have bought the kerosene from the same source, a road side kerosene vendor woman (names withheld).

    The vendor, it was also gathered, claimed to have bought the kerosene from a filling station in Abakaliki.

    The explosion that led to the death of Chidera, it was gathered, occurred at about 6.45am yesterday as she was trying to light a stove to prepare breakfast for her siblings, which burst into flames and burnt her to death before neighbours could put off the flames.

    An eye-witness who spoke to our reporter said that he heard a heavy explosion and rushed out only to see that the house was in flames.

    He said, “Before we could put off the fire, the girl had already given up the ghost but she was rushed to hospital where the doctors confirmed her dead.”

    When The Nation visited the two victims, Uche and Chibueze, at the Federal Teaching hospital Abakaliki where they are still receiving treatment they were lying critically ill with severe pains due to the deep burns they suffered from the kerosene explosion.Mother of one of the victims, Mrs. Ada Kalueze, said that they were in the parlour of their house when power from PHCN went off and she sent her son to go and light the lantern. While the boy was inside the room to light the lantern it blew into flames.

    “As I heard the sound of the burst of the lantern, I rushed into the room and saw flames in my room with my three children in the room. I entered the room despite the fire to rescue my children but the fire burnt Uche much because he was directly involved, I was equally burnt on my hands and legs.”

    “The fire destroyed property in the room but did not spread to other rooms. I was the one who bought the kerosene from one woman who sells kerosene along the street. I met these people in the hospital with the same kerosene explosion case, they said they bought kerosene from the same woman, which I believe was adulterated, but now the woman is claiming that she bought the kerosene from a filling station,” she stated.

    Police spokesman, DSP Sylvester Igbo, when contacted, said he was yet to be briefed on the incident.

  • Kidnappers’ den demolished in Ebonyi

    The Ebonyi State Government, in conjunction with the police, has demolished a house in Emezabi Community, Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area, which reportedly served as kidnappers’ hideout.

    The demolition followed the kidnap of the wife of the Deputy Leader of the House of Assembly, Mrs. Winifred Ogbu, last Friday by a six-man gang.

    Mrs. Ogbu was held in the three-bedroom mud house in an isolated part of Emezabi community until she was rescued by policemen, following a tip-off. One of the suspected kidnappers was killed.

    The Commissioner for Works and Transport, Chukwuma Nwandugo, said the demolition was a new government policy to warn criminals in the area.

    Police spokesman Sylvester Igbo said such policy would serve as a warning to others.

    Some indigenes of the community told reporters shortly after the demolition that they were pleased with the government’s action.

    Two of them, Uche Agbo and Chris Nweke, described the battle against crime as a collective effort.

    “We promise to continue to volunteer information to security agencies to enhance security in the state,” they said.

    The police have recovered Mrs. Ogbu’s Toyota Highlander in which she was taken away.

     

  • Ebonyi varsity female student found dead in her room

    Ebonyi varsity female student found dead in her room

    Miss Miracle Eze, a 25-year-old Mass Communication student of Ebonyi State University (EBSU), has been found dead in her room at Ishieke campus of the university.

    Miss Miracle, a 200 Level student was found lying faced down and naked by the men of Nigeria Police Force, Ishieke Division, following a report by other students living in the same Henriv Lodge wih her.

    It was gathered that she had returned to the hostel at night to prepare for her General Studies (GST) examination slated for the day she was found dead (Tuesay, July 9).

    But the door and windows were locked from the inside till Wednesday night when friends started looking for her after she failed to turn up to take the examination. When the police finally broke open her iron door, the only thing found around her decomposing naked body which laid motionless on the floor were the GST text and exercise books she used while reading.

    It was also discovered, when the police tried to cover her naked body, that she was burnt on the stomach; fueling suspicion that she might have died of electrocution.

    Miss Miracle who hailed from Nsukka, in Enugu State, according to sources in the hostel, returned to the hostel crying uncontrollably and intimated one of her female friends that she was being stalked by a male student, simply identified with the alias “Alhaji” who had allegedly been demanding to have a love affair with her, but she reportedly declined because she had a fiancé who had already gone to her family for formal introduction.

    It was further gathered that while she was still explaining the issue to her friend, the said Alhaji called her phone number and she was instructed not to answer the call. Later in the evening, the said Alhaji allegedly visited her and left, after which the ugly incident occurred.

    Meanwhile, Miracle’s corpse has since been moved to the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA) mortuary.

    The Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sylvester Igbo confirmed the incident to our reporter, adding that for now the police were still investigating the matter to be sure that the girl died of natural causes or otherwise.

  • Ebonyi college demotes 15 dons for certificate forgery

    Fifteen lecturers of the Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo, have been demoted over alleged certificate forgery.

    They claimed to have acquired Ph.D degrees from reputable institutions outside the country. However, a committee set up to investigate their claims, found them to be false.

    In a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the College, Mr. Nkwuda Bethrand Otukobelu, noted that the affected lecturers would not be allowed to go for any promotion course until after three years.

    He said: “A lot of processes were followed in verification and evaluation of the certificates of the lecturers involved. Six of the lecturers who had their Ph.Ds from the institutions should stop parading themselves as Ph.D holders and stop adding the title ‘Dr.’ to their names.

    “That as regards to their present positions, nine of them have been demoted to lecturer III; two to assistant lecturers and the remaining two to non-academic staff for not possessing relevant qualifications to be in the academic cadre.

    “That six of them, who enjoyed financial benefits with the controversial certificates are to refund such benefits which accrued to them in excess of their present new position.

    “Findings by the Committee and letters from the National Universities Commission (NUC), and the Federal Ministry of Education show that the institutions were neither approved nor recognised by the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

    At a press conference in Abakaliki, the Special Adviser to Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State on Higher Education, Prof Mike Ituma, said the discovery shocked the government.

    He said the actions of the affected lecturers were a reflection of the level of decay ravaging the sector.

    He said the state supports the college for its action on the matter, describing it as a step in the right direction.

     

  • Ebonyi warns medicine dealers

    Ebonyi State Patent and proprietary medicine dealer found stocking or selling regulated drugs in the state would be prosecuted Ebonyi State government warned yesterday.

    The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Health, Mr Hyacinth Oteh, gave the warning in Abakaliki during a one-day sensitisation workshop for patent medicine dealers organised by the state government in conjunction with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

    He said that controlled or regulated drugs have potential for abuse, adding that this necessitated the regulation of their use.

    According to him, controlled drugs require a doctor to prescribe and a pharmacist to dispense.

    “Since patent and proprietary medicine vendors are neither doctors nor pharmacists, the simple logic is that they have no business with the sale of controlled drugs.

    “Any patent medicine vendor found to be stocking or selling those products is breaching the law and needs to be prosecuted,” he said.

    Ote explained that a vendor was expected to confine himself to the sale of the ‘Over the Counter drugs’.

    “Abuse of drugs may lead to psychological and physical dependence,” he noted.

    Mr Ralph Igwenagu, Ebonyi Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency advised medicine vendors to avoid been used as a tool in the distribution and sale of illegal psychoactive substances.

    “This warning has become necessary because of your proximity to the people. You must resist this temptation at all cost.

    “Drug abuse has the devastating consequences of social and health related problems such as road and industrial accidents, breakdown of families, increased criminal activities among others,” he said.

    Chief Simon Nweze, State President, National Association of Patent And Proprietary Medicine Dealers said the workshop would help update their members with the necessary knowledge in the fight against illicit drugs, trafficking, purchase and sell of substandard drugs.