The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Enugu State

  • Kidnapped monarch, wife regain freedom

    THE kidnapped Enugu monarch, Igwe Sunday Orji of Obom-Agbogugu, in Awgu Local Government, and his wife, Alice, have been rescued.

    A family source said they regained freedom on Wednesday night.

    They were kidnapped on Sunday evening near Agbogugu-Ihe junction, on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, while returning from the reception and thanksgiving mass in honour of the mother of the Catholic Bishop of Awgu Diocese.

    They were abducted at the area where Rev Fr Paul Offu was shot dead three days earlier.

    Read Also: Monarch kidnapped in Enugu

    A family member told our correspondent that an undisclosed ransom was paid.

    The kidnappers, suspected to be herdsmen, had initially contacted the family and demanded N50millon ransom. They later reduced it to N20million.

    Police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the release of the monarch and his wife.

     

  • Monarch kidnapped in Enugu

    A monarch, Igwe Sunday Orji, has been kidnapped near Ogbaku-Umuogbe end of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway in Enugu State.

    Police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu, confirming the incident, said operatives have swung into action to rescue the traditional ruler.

    Family sources told The Nation on Monday that the abductors have established contact with them, demanding N50million ransom.

    Read Also: Why Enugu airport should be shut, by Hadi Sirika

    The police, however, could not confirm the ransom angle.

    Awgu axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway has become a hotbed of terrorism.

    Residents have accused herdsmen of being responsible for the kidnap, but the police have warned against such hasty conclusion.

  • Killing of Catholic priest: Buhari orders manhunt for killers

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday directed the security agencies to go all out to find the brains behind Thursday’s killing of Reverend Father Paul Offu in Enugu.

    Buhari also sent condolences to the Catholic Church over the killing of the priest who, until his death, was in charge of St. James Greater Parish Catholic Church, Ugbawka, Enugu State.

    Similar condolences came from the state branch of the  Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).

    The group described the death of Offu as one too many and said the killers must be brought to book.

    Buhari, according to his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, expressed deep shock and dismay over the killing of the priest.

    The President commiserated with government and people of Enugu State, family of Rev Fr. Offu and members of the parish and all Christians.

    Describing the killing of the priest as “barbaric and unwarranted’’, President Buhari assured the Catholic Church and all Nigerians that the fight against “lawlessness and recklessness’’ will be intensified as security of lives and property continues to top his priorities.

    “The entire nation is shaken by the horrible assassination of this priest. The administration will continue to guarantee the freedom of religion and protect places of worship as well as the lives of citizens wherever they live,” he added.

    Directing law enforcement agencies to act swiftly in their investigations and bring the perpetrators of the “horrific crime’’ to book, the President called on all religious leaders to pray for peace, healing and security of the country.

    Miyetti-Allah: Fulani herders not responsible for killing of Offu

    In its reaction, the Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Enugu State said that its members were not responsible for the killing of the Catholic priest.

    It said it has been inundated with a barrage of accusations following the killing which it described as unfortunate.

    The group said it was part of the security and peace committee in Enugu State, hence it was bound to control its members and ensure that criminals do not infiltrate its members conducting their business of cow rearing.

    Chairman of MACBAN in South East, Alhaji Giddado Siddiki in a statement said: “Again our hearts bleed over the most bastardly murder of a Catholic priest, Reverend Father Paul Offu, of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu.

    “This is one murder too many! It is most condemnable and heartily regretted.

    “Again our society aches as a result of the activities of criminals who care less about the value of human life. It is painful that the security apparatuses of the government have not been able to contain the excesses of these men of the underworld who have continued to diminish the value of life in our society.

    “We hereby most heartily console the members of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, and all the Christian faithful on this very painful and irreparable loss.

    “We once more call on the government to rise to the occasion and provide adequate security for the citizens of Nigeria across the length and breadth of the country.

    “We maintain that crime, in whatever form of its perpetration, is anti-society. Criminals of any guise cause pains to society and should therefore be properly identified and made to face the full wrath of the law.

    “While we mourn the sudden departure of Father Offu, we are very hopeful that this occasion will agitate the government sufficiently to respond to the challenge of criminality amongst us.

    “Please let all of us be duly consoled. May God receive the soul of His dutiful servant in Paradise.”

  • Eight die while digging septic tank in Enugu

    Eight persons reportedly died on Monday night at Igogoro, Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, while digging a septic tank.

    The owner of the building, Stephen Urama, was not at home when the incident happened.

    His father, Alfred Urama, a security guard at Destiny Microfinance Bank, Ogrute Enugu Ezike, reported the matter to the police.

    Read Also: Enugu Disco inaugurates 100 change ambassadors

    An official of Igboeze council, who confirmed the story, said the community was mourning the unexpected death.

    According to sources, the first victim fell into the pit and in an attempt to rescue him, the other seven jumped into the pit too.

    One of them died before he could reach the hospital at Enugu Eziike; while others died instantly.

  • IPMAN prohibition order: Ugwuanyi constitutes committee

    Following an Executive Order recently issued by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State prohibiting the activities of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in the state, the governor yesterday approved the constitution of a committee on maintenance of public order to ensure supply and distribution of petroleum products in the state during the pendency of the order.

    A statement by the Permanent Secretary (General Administration), Mrs. Josephine U. Onyia, the committee comprises representatives of the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police, SP Pius Eziubochi Ugwuala, who will serve as the Chairman; Directorate of State Services, Uche Oko; Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Collins Akalawu; the Department of Petroleum Resources, Enugu Zonal Office, Alhaji Gwaram L. Ahmed; the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Permanent Secretary, Inter-Ministerial and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Enugu State, Mrs. Mabel Agbo.

    The committee, according to a statement, will be inaugurated on Monday, July 22, 2019 at the Government House, Enugu at 2pm.

    It would be recalled that Ugwuanyi issued the order pursuant to section 48 (1) and (2) of the Public Order Law Cap 130 Revised Laws of Enugu State 2004, section 215(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), as a result of the protracted crisis between warring factions of the IPMAN that has within the recent past given rise to cult activities, gun battles, banditry, continuing threat to public order and human lives and properties.

    According to the order, “the foregoing has created a general state of insecurity in Enugu State (the “State”), presenting grave danger to lives and property of members of the public in the State.”

    Prohibiting the activities of the association, the order further stated that “without prejudice to the issues in contention between the parties and the rights and obligations of the parties, and without prejudice to any judicial decisions in that regard: The activities of IPMAN in Enugu State are hereby prohibited till further notice.”

     

  • Police parade 33 suspected criminals

    Enugu State Police Command on Wednesday paraded 33 suspected criminals, who were arrested for crimes within the past one month.

    The command also recovered 10 rifles, cartridges and ammunition.

    It also recovered armoured transformer cables and vandalised transformer components, four laptops and charms.

    Parading the suspects in Enugu, Commissioner Sulaiman Balarabe said the arrest followed intensive and pro-active efforts put up by operatives under the “Operation Puff Adder”.

    He said the operatives of Federal Special Anti-Robbery

    Squad, Urban Patrol and Anti-Cultism Squad also assisted in making the arrest and recovery possible in the period under review.

    The police boss noted that the suspects were involved in crimes ranging from armed robbery to kidnapping, transformer vandalism, cultism, Internet fraud and murder case.

    “In the period under review from June 17 to date, being July 17; the command has made many successful arrests and recovery leading to the present peace and tranquility the state enjoys.

    “The operatives of “Operation Puff Adder” have lived up to their bidding within the last one month and have arrested 10 robbery suspects at locations.

    “The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad also tracked down and arrested two notorious kidnappers troubling personalities in the state,’’ he said.

    Balarabe said over 15 cultists were arrested at locations by the Anti-Cultism Squad.

    Read Also: Cultism, drug abuse: Police to sensitise communities

    According to him, cultists are fond of disturbing peace and business activities in neighborhood.

    “Today, cultism has taken a dangerous dimension in the state. Cultists now carry out ambush attacks on unsuspecting residents and rob them of their belongings. They go to the extent of killing and robbing on the highway.

    “The command assures residents that it will fight cultism, transformer vandalism and other petty crimes to a standstill,’’ Balarabe said.

    He said investigation was still ongoing in some of the cases, adding that the suspects would be arraigned after the investigation.

    “I appeal to residents, especially our friends in the media, to always avail the police confidential information to nip crime in the bud and rid the state of undesirable elements,” the police commissioner said.

  • Police debunk rumour of bomb explosion in Enugu

    The Police Command in Enugu State, on Saturday, debunked a social media rumour of a bomb explosion in the state.

    The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.

    Amaraizu said that the video in circulation in some sections of the social media had been confirmed to be “false’’ and “an attempt to instill fear in the minds of the public’’.

    “The attention of the Command has been drawn to the misleading and false video in circulation in some sections of the social media on an alleged bomb blast at Otigba Junction within Enugu metropolis.

    “The Command, hereby, wish to inform members of the public particularly those who may have been misinformed with such that there is no bomb incident and explosion in entire Enugu State.

    “Hence, members of the public are advised to ignore the misleading information and go about their normal lawful businesses.

    Read Also: Enugu and scourge of social media

    “This false information is an attempt by mischief makers to cause panic and fear in the minds of law abiding members of the public,’’ he said.

    Amaraizu noted that “the Command is committed to ensure the safety and lives and property of the residents of the state at every minute’’.

    NAN

  • Good but…

    •We commend the donation of bicycles to rural students while expecting more

    It seems revolutionary. But it only seems so. The Guaranty Trust Bank launched a programme recently to soften the burden of commuting to secondary schools in Enugu State by donating bicycles to 120 students.

    Called the “Beat the Distance” programme, the top financial institution made that move for two reasons. One, long distances between schools and homes forced students to drop in big numbers. Two, the long distance compel the students to undertaking long treks that exhaust them physically and mentally.

    In one of the launching occasions at the Government College, Agbani in Nkanu West local government Council, Enugu State, the bank’s managing director, Segun Agbaje, said the company made the decision on the strength of a study that concluded that long distance trekking reduced the ability of students to pay attention in the class.

    Justifying the decision, Chukwudi Deribe, who is the group head of commercial banking in the southeast, said: “Every day in rural Nigeria, millions of children walk for hours just to get to school and back. This challenge, coupled with the responsibility of doing chores in the morning, especially for the girls, makes it difficult for them to get to school in good time. The long journey travelled on steep terrain for most, also leaves children tired, slacking in performance and eventually, dropping out of school.”

    The programme, which is part of the elaborate GTB Cares, projects the bank’s efforts to alleviate poverty, which is one of the cardinal benefits of a literate mind.

    We commend the bank for the donation. Many students suffer sore feet and weary bodies in walks over distances that sometimes spans miles. To offer them bicycles, which is often seen as a luxurious means of commuting, pares the commuting time, and makes going to school look relatively like luxury.

    We expect that more of the bicycles will be donated because 120 bicycles in rural areas that potentially number in their thousands falls short of demand. Giving them so few makes a privilege of a select number of students.

    It is in that light that we think, good as the gesture is, it runs the danger of appearing as tokenism. A better solution to that problem is first to construct motorable roads. They might not be tarred or macadamised, but covered in hard earth. This will pave the way for big buses that convey the students in large numbers.

    Providing bicycles may be good when we are not interested in raising the bar of comfort, or eyeing the opportunities of the modern world. Banks and other top corporate citizens have tended to pander to the low expectations of citizens.

    We are in the 21st century, and the banks operate in the wizardry of modern business models and technology. So, donating bicycles, in the eyes of the locals is a great leap, but we must not allow ourselves to tie down the subaltern Nigerians to the old trappings of progress when the possibilities of today beckon us to better facilities.

    Making the students enjoy modern amenity will raise their expectations of themselves and society. Bicycles are a staple of rural societies. This is not to discount the bank’s gestures. These donations must abide by the annual budgets for corporate social responsibility.

    Quite a few banks, including the GTB, have played important roles in improving lives of Nigerians in different sectors. The danger in such generous acts is that they may be seen as cynical attempts to win customers rather than the altruism of help.

    The GTB bicycle gesture comes across as a genuine act. It only needs to raise the bar in line with the age.

  • Family goes spiritual over stolen daughter after one year

    Osaruoname Omokpia is not a happy man. His sorrow began on June 24, 2018. That day marked the beginning of his recurring nightmare. On that day, two female tenants abducted his daughters, Christabel and Amanda. The culprits, Rose and Mary, kidnapped the minors and sold them to one Joy Odeh thus injecting agony into the lives of the Omokpias.

    However, in May, this year, fate deigned Omokpia a patronising smile as little Christabel was recovered in Enugu State from one Anioke Augustine, who bought her for N800,000. The recovery of Christabel uncovered a huge network of individuals engaged in sale and trafficking of children in the country.

    It was a tortuous investigation by men of the Edo State Police Command as they journeyed through five states in trail of Christabel before they recovered her.

    When Christabel and her sister were taken away, their abductors took them to Ondo State, where they were sold to Odeh. Police investigators made a breakthrough in their search as they managed to track Mary’s phone to somebody she sold it to at Onitsha.

    Mary was eventually arrested and she is currently serving a jail term in Ondo State. Her confession led to the arrest of her accomplice, Odeh, in Ondo State. Joy confessed to police interrogators that she received the children from Mary and sold them to one Rita Eze, aged 49, in Onitsha at the rate of N300,000 for five-year-old Amanda and N450,000 for Christabel.

    Before the police got to Onitsha, Rita has already resold the children separately. She sold Amada to one Uju Favour in Asaba while Christabel was sold to Ogechi Ejike Rivers State.

    The police tracked Ogechi, aged 33, to Afam Community in Rivers State and discovered that she sold Christabel to one Comfort Dike John, who operates an Orphanage home in Okigwe, Imo State at N500,000.

    Comfort was nabbed and she confessd to the police, that she resold Christabel for N850,000 with the support of one Glory Onuoha aged 38, Okeke Chinyere aged 39, Akubor Evangelina aged 38, Ifeoma Adindu aged 40 to Anioke Augusta aged 48.

    Augusta took Christabel to Enugu State, gave her a new home and sent her to school.

    In a chat with newsmen, Anioke denied involvement in the theft, saying she only adopted Christabel from an orphanage. She claimed that her only offence was that she did not follow due process.

    “I agreed to adopt the baby when I saw “government approved” written on the sign board.

    Comfort said she bought the baby at N500,000 from Ogechi because she told her that the girl’s father was dead.

    Read Also: Mother, daughter in police net over baby theft

    “I did not know that the baby was stolen. But I only collected N700,000 from the woman who adopted  her and not N850,000,” she said.

    Pastor Chinyer­e Okeke, however, said that she was not aware that the baby was stolen because they were given papers to legitimise the transaction.

    “I only took the buyer to the orphanage. I did not know that the baby was stolen. It is painful because of the embarrassment.” she said

    In search of Amanda, the police tracked Uju, 35, to Asaba, Delta State and she confessed that she sold Amanda to one woman at Ogwa-Chukwu, who the police later confirmed to be dead.

    This created a dilemma for the police as all clues to recover little Amanda had been lost with the death of her last buyer.

    Spokesman for Edo Police Command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, said initial efforts to find the children failed and the case was referred to the Special Anti-kidnapping and Cyber Crime Unit headed by SP Richard Balogun, who tracked the suspects and rescued one of the two stolen children

    Nwabuzor said the police would leave no stone unturned to recover Amanda.

    Back at home, Christabel is yet to start school. Her father said he wants to watch her and spend time with her. He said it was difficult to explain the mental torture he went through in the quest to get his two daughters back.

    Osaruoname said he could not state how much he spent to do all kind of things aimed at getting his children. He said he and the rest of the family are praying constantly for the police to recover Amanda.

    On whether Christabel is asking of Amanda, he said she called her my sister anytime she sees her photograph.

    “We are praying for the police to get our remaining daughter back. Christabel has been doing well since she came back.”

  • Enugu CP urges commercial drivers to be ambassadors of anti-corruption

    COMMISSIONER of Police in Enugu State, Mr Sulaiman Balarabe, has urged commercial drivers to be ambassadors of anti-corruption by reporting all incidences of police extortion in the state.

    Balarabe said this on Friday during an interactive meeting between senior police officers in Enugu State Police Command and leadership of various commercial drivers’ unions/associations in the state.

    The interactive meeting was part of the command’s Campaign Against Police Unprofessional Conduct (CAPUCON) programme.

    He also urged commercial drivers to get their documents and papers right and up-dated as well as being patient and courteous to answer all questions posed by policemen on duty while insisting on their rights.

    “Every police personnel must serve the public with professionalism and fear of God without extorting anytime from anybody.

    “Presently, we are giving numbers of principal senior officers, Divisional Police Officers and special units as well as members of the Police Command Committee Against Unprofessional Conduct to you people (commercial drivers) to contact us on incidences of extortion.

    “Apart from  members of the Police Command Committee Against Unprofessional Conduct; we have IGP X-Squad and Command X-Squad that will be patrolling on plain-cloths in road routes to fish out the bad eggs in the force,’’ he said.

    Read Also: Attack: Enugu CP warns rumour mongers

    According to him, when any policeman extorts money from a struggling commercial driver, he or she is collecting a cursed money and the money will never profit the officer.

    Speaking, Comrade Chukwuma Okenwa, Coordinator of Values Project, noted that the Nigeria Police remained the best in Africa for exceptional performance in peace keeping especially in Africa and beyond.

    “But it is ironical, that the same internationally acclaimed performance cannot be replicated in the country due to unprofessional conduct such as extortion that had pitched ordinary Nigerians against police personnel,’’ Okenwa said.

    Comrade Austin Agu, Secretary of National Union of Road Transports Workers (NURTW), appreciated the commissioner for his honesty and forthrightness to ensure that the command check extortion.

    “I will implore our members and other commercial drivers to ensure that they do their part by getting their particulars up-to-date to avoid any form of embarrassment,’’ Agu said.

    Comrade Chike Nweze, Chairman of Motorcycle Union of Enugu State (Okada riders), lauded the commissioner and senior police officers in the state for being open and coming all out to address the menace of extortion.

    “We sincerely believe that this particular programme and synergy will work for the good of the society and foster a better relationship between the police and commercial drivers in the state,’’ he said.