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Tag: Imo

  • Police corporal, five others arrested over death of Catholic Priest

    Police corporal, five others arrested over death of Catholic Priest

    The Police Command in Imo has arrested a police officer who allegedly masterminded the abduction and murder of a Catholic Priest, Rev. Cyriacus Onunkwo, recently.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Chris Ezike, said five other suspects had also been arrested in connection with the crime.

    Ezike disclosed this in Owerri while presenting the suspects to newsmen on Thursday.

    He said following a directive by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to track down the culprits, the command moved into action and had so far arrested six persons in connection with the crime.

    He said the command was able to achieve the feat through a whistle blowing strategy and forensic technology.

    Rev. Onunkwo was abducted on Friday at Banana junction in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo by gunmen.

    His corpse was later found in Omuma the following day.

    One of the suspects, Mr Izuchukwu Okafor from Anambra, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Onunkwo was killed in error.

    He claimed that the gang only kidnapped the priest for ransom but later discovered that he died while on transit to their hideout.

    “When we kidnapped the priest, we used cello tape to seal his mouth, unknown to us, his nose was also sealed.

    “When we discovered that he could no longer talk, we unsealed his mouth and found out that he has dead,,” Okafor said.

    Another suspect, Mr Onyema Cyril, from Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo, told NAN that when they discovered that their victim was a priest he opted for his release, but that the police officer who was among them threatened to shoot them if they released him.

    Among those presented to newsmen in connection with the crime are: Izuchukwu Okafor, Onyema Cyril, Emmanuel Ozuigbo, Victor Ikechukwu, Ifeanyi Nwosu and Corporal Jude Madu.

  • Three feared dead during protest over demolition of Owerri market

    Three feared dead during protest over demolition of Owerri market

    Three people were  suspected to have died in Owerri on Saturday when some youths protested against the demolition of the main market in the capital, called Eke Onunwa Market, by the Imo Government.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in Imo, Mr Andrew Enwerem, however, said he could not confirm the deaths.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt  that a protester was allegedly killed by a stray bullet fired by security operatives deployed to maintain order in the area.

    NAN learnt that the death of the protester escalated the situation and subsequently two others died.

    The state government had issued an evacuation order to the traders and advised them to relocate to a new site to make way for development at the market site.

    Efforts of the government to relocate the market from the city centre to decongest the area  have  been resisted by Owerri indigenes who regard the market as their ancestral heritage.

    The people had instituted a court case against the government over the matter.

    However, the market was demolished in the night in spite of the resistance of the natives.

    Following the protest, the state capital was heavily guarded by the military and police to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

  • Peterside seeks better placement for Africa in IMO

    Peterside seeks better placement for Africa in IMO

    The Chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administration (AAMA),  Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has called for increased representation of the continent on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Council and its Secretariat.

    Peterside, who made the appeal when he led a delegation of some members of AAMA Executive Committee to meet with the IMO Secretary General, Mr. Kitack Lim at the Organization’s Headquarters in London, said that there was the need for Africa’s proportionate representation to commensurate with the size of the continent’s membership of IMO.

    According to the AAMA Chairman, “you will agree with me that the number of African Nations at the council of the IMO is disproportionate to the size of the continent’s representation at the global maritime body, therefore to drive Africa’s maritime sector development agenda, there is need for a proportionate and effective representation of the continent in council and at the secretariat”, he said.

    Peterside, who is also the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) noted the various initiatives embarked upon by the AAMA leadership including cooperation by the member nations in capacity building, to impact on the continent’s maritime sector.

    IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim commended the African Maritime Administrations for their high level organization and a proactive leadership of AAMA with a drive towards ensuring that Africa Maritime sector remains viable.

    He urged African Nations to continue working closely to remain a formidable block that would be of influence in decision making at the IMO.

    Lim noted that he is from a developing country despite the recent successes of his home country so appreciates the African position. He pledged to continue to champion greater assistance to developing countries so they will benefit more from global maritime trade. He promised to Liaise with technical staff of IMO and get back to AAMA on the various requests made.

    The AAMA delegation includes the Director General of Ghana Maritime Authority Mr. Kwame Owuaru, CEO of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), Mr. Sobantu Tilayi, others include the Executive Director Finance and Administration, NIMASA, Mr. Bashir Jamoh, the chairperson of African Maritime Advisory Group (AMAG), Azara Prempeh  and Phimulani Myeni of  South Africa.

    Mr. Juvenal Shiundu, a Director in IMO of Kenya origin and Mr. William Azuh, Head of IMO technical section for Africa joined the Secretary General of IMO to receive the AAMA delegation.

    The AAMA team also recently met with representatives of African countries at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), under the auspices of African Maritime Advisory Group (AMAG) at the IMO Headquarters in London.

  • Imo, Ondo: how ’ll spend Paris Club refund

    Ondo State yesterday confirmed receipt of N 7,003,648,314.28 as its share of second tranche of the Paris Club refund.

    Separately, Imo State Governor  Rochas Okorocha acknowledged the receipt of N7 billion as the state’s share of the refund.

    However, Ondo noted that of the sum, 32.68 per cent will be allocated to the local government areas. The state government will receive 67.32 per cent as its own share.

    The government, in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary(CPS) to the governor, Segun Ajiboye, said in accordance with the agreement reached between the states and Ministry of Finance, 75 per cent of the share received by the state will be devoted to payment  of salaries and pensions.

    The remaining 25 per cent will be devoted to capital projects.

    The statement said as a responsive government, the state government  is committed to use the funds for the purposes they are meant to be used for.

    Okorocha, however, said “the money will be used to clear 2017 outstanding pensions since the government had earlier cleared all the past pension arrears up to December 2016”.

    The government had promised to commence the payment of pensioners at the end of every month with effect from last January.

  • Prison warden held for kidnapping in Imo

    THE Imo State Police Command, yesterday paraded a prison warden attached to the Owerri Prison, Emmanuel Anyadike and four other members of his syndicate over alleged kidnap and other heinous crimes. The suspect was said to have recruited members of the gang from prison, while they were serving various terms.

    The police arrested Anyadike and some of his accomplices, who are still in prison custody, after they foiled their attempt to kidnap a popular politician in the state. It would be recalled that some prison officials in Owerri Prison were previously arrested for helping the late notorious kidnapper, Henry Chibueze, aka Vampire to coordinate his kidnap activities, while he was in their custody.

    Parading the suspects and other suspects at the Police Headquarters, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, said that the feat was achieved as a result of the effectiveness of the whistle blowing policy of his command.

    He disclosed that police are now sharing information and mutual intelligence with the members of the public for effective policing, adding that it is already yielding results. According to him:”The mutual intelligence between us and the members of the public led to these breakthroughs. We have made major reshuffle at the command which is equally bringing about these successes. As we are approaching the busy period of the year, the men of the underworld are reinforcing and we are seriously redoubling our efforts to make sure that we lock the state against them.” Also paraded were the lifeless bodies of three suspected armed robbers who were reportedly killed during a gun duel with the police.

    Their names were given as Temple Ogbonnaya, 21, from Nkwa in Abia State, Ifeanyichukwu Victor, 21, and Okey Mgborogwu, 23, from Obinwanne, Njaba LGA of the state. Items recovered from them include one AK47 rifle, 39 rounds live ammunition, 47 magazines, two locally made revolver pistols and three live cartridges.

    The command also recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against child trafficking, which is becoming rampant in the state recently, with the busting of a notorious syndicate that specializes in enticing indigent women with gifts to dispossess them of their children. The leader of the syndicate, Chidimma Unakalamba, was paraded alongside a 20 -year -old woman, Chioma Fidelis, who gave her two-month-old child to the group in exchange for a half bag of rice and N200,000.00.

    Narrating her ordeal, the woman, said that hardship and the fact that she got the baby out of wedlock, drove her to sell the child to survive. The woman who hails from the Ehime Mbano Council Area of the state, said that she had to accept the offer to exchange the child for the money and food stuff, when she realised that the baby was dying of kwashiorkor, adding that she had no husband to take care of her and the child. The leader of the syndicate, Unakalamba, who accepted that she sold the baby boy to Mr and Mrs Jonas Anyanwu, who were said to be desperate for a male child, said the baby, who has been recovered, was sold for N600, 000 to the couple.

  • I’ve performed better than all my predecessors, says Okorocha

    I’ve performed better than all my predecessors, says Okorocha

    Imo State Governor and the Chairman, All Progressive Peoples (APC) Governors Forum, Rochas Okorocha has declared that his achievements in the last six years has surpassed those of his predecessors put together.

    The governor, who spoke with State House correspondents in Abuja, also said that his record will be difficult for his successor to beat.

    According to him, his administration has impacted positively on the lives of Imo citizens.

    “A good Governor that impacted positively on the lives of the people. I’m in this job not for the profit of it but for the honour and glory of the job. So I want to leave a legacy.

    “I want  Imo people to miss me and they will definitely. Believe you me they have not seen such developmental works before now and they will miss it. The only problem I have is that anybody that comes after me and does not perform will be stoned.

    “Because you cannot come to Imo State now and say you want to abolish free education from primary to university, they will not accept. I have spoilt Imo people believe me. You cannot come to Imo State and say you want to give them a single lane road when they are now used to eight lane road in the city, they won’t accept it.

    “You cannot come there and tell the children to go to schools that the floors are not tiled they will not accept because all the schools have been rebuilt. I have rebuilt 450 schools. You can no longer take them to those ramshackle hospitals, those shanties they called hospitals because I have built ultramodern 27 to 200 bed general hospitals. You can no longer tell them those stories. All the infrastructures are there.

    “You cannot tell them that there are criminal activities any more and that your hands are tied they will not accept it because we know where we brought Imo from, from unsafe place to a safe place right now. And you can no longer tell our workers to dress shabbily they will not, they will want to dress in their suits and tie and white shirts. So Imo has changed believe me.

    “I stand to be challenged and corrected by anybody that what we have done in Imo State in this six years can be comparable to what any governor in that state living or dead has done. And whether if we put all of them together can match what we have done. Have you seen me sounding boisterous? That is the truth. But the point is I don’t make media noise, I don’t make foundation laying stones Programme, I don’t bring women to dance because I want to lay foundation project.

    “I don’t commission projects because for me it doesn’t make sense. They say that is the only way to get the media to know what we are doing but to me it doesn’t make sense. What is the most important is that people are benefiting and people are happy.”

    He stressed that there is no area in human existence that his administration has not touched.

    “I can only give credit to God almighty. There is just no area we have not touched and Owerri is now the fastest growing city outside Lagos and Abuja and I stand proud to say so. Ease of doing business is at the highest level. So is not major is just passion and vision at play,” he stated.

  • Imo police raid suspected kidnappers, robbers

    Imo police raid suspected kidnappers, robbers

    The battle to bring criminals to heel in Imo State is yielding fruit. No fewer than 36 kidnap and armed robbery suspects have been arrested, the state police command said.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, who paraded the suspects at the police headquarters, assured that the offensive against criminal elements in the state will be sustained until heinous criminal activities are curtailed.

    He said that apart from tracking down kidnap and armed robbery syndicates, the Command will also initiate massive onslaught against cult groups who have taken delight in harassing and maiming innocent residents of the state.

    Describing cultism as the “root” of other criminal activities, Ezike said that cultists will be traced to their classrooms, hostels and homes, where they will be apprehended to face the law, even after escaping from the scene of their crime.

    He said, “I am delighted this morning as we showcase our modest achievements in crime management in Imo State since my last parade of suspects in April. Permit me to mention however, that we have also in between the period made public some arrests and recoveries which we thought were very urgent importance.

    “As we approach the second half of 2017, the Command expects increased business activities and human relationships in Imo State. These activities come with its good, bad and ugly baggage. We must therefore continuously be on the red alert so that the less than 7% criminal elements in our midst do not cause us avoidable pains”.

    He continued, saying, “Consequently in the coming weeks and months, our Tactical Operational focus shall be to sustain the momentum in the current operation of identification, arrest, detention and prosecution of suspected armed robbers, kidnappers, cultists and other notorious criminals.

    “To commence the urgent vetting and profiling of communities, organizations, hotels that have shown uncommon notoriety in the provision of safe haven and passages for armed robbers/kidnappers with a view to holding their leadership and owners accountable for their acts or omissions .

    “To sustain high visibility policing as a crime prevention measure and employ forensic technology as a fundamental aid to criminal investigation and detection and to expand the frontiers of police and community partnership through strategic communication and relationship that will continue to stimulate our whistleblowing policy”.

    The Commissioner of Police, attributed the success recorded within the time under review to “the workability of our whistle blowing policy which has encouraged the residents of Imo state to expose criminality and other vices that torment our society, renewed partnership with all segments of the Imo community and good inter-agency cooperation and collaboration, as well as the commitment and renewed zeal of the personnel of Imo state Police Command, using intelligence-led policing platforms and high visibility policing models to achieve efficiency and effectiveness”.

    Some of the criminal syndicate that were busted include a notorious four-man kidnap gang led by a 34-year-old father of seven, which has been terrorizing residents of the state, especially around Avu community in Owerri West Council Area of the State.

    Other members of the gang that was said to be behind the abduction of a female magistrate that was later rescued by the Police recently, were Chima Agujo (20), Tochukwu Chima 27 and Desmond Akano (25).

    Also paraded were members of child trafficking syndicate that specializes in abducting and drugging pregnant women who are kept till they deliver and their babies sold by the gang.

    Names of the members of the gang were given as Chinedu Onyeakosi, Chinaza Onyeakosi and Chidi Donatus, all male.

    The Police also paraded students of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) who were arrested for alleged armed robbery and cultism.

    Items recovered from the paraded suspects, include stolen vehicles, AK47 Riffles, locally made pistols, pump action guns, axe, machetes and other dangerous weapons.

  • Breaking: Police rescue kidnapped Imo Priest, arrest three suspects

    Breaking: Police rescue kidnapped Imo Priest, arrest three suspects

    The Police in Imo State have arrested three suspects involved on the kidnap of a Catholic Priest, Father Charles Nwachukwu around 8pm on Friday.
    Ogadinma Ajonuwma, Chinedu Odoemenam, Uzoma Mejuru, all natives of Agbaja in Nwangele Local Government Area (LGA) were arrested Sunday night by the command’s anti-kidnapping squad.
    It was gathered that the police also rescued the Priest at Agbaja Forest in Nwangele unhurt and recovered his golden Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) marked WER334NJ.
    Father Nwachukwu was kidnapped at Amauzari in Isiala Mbano LGA, on his way from Owerri Airport, where he dropped off a guest. From there, he was moved to Nwangele forest.
    The policemen also busted a shrine where human head, 80 rounds of AK47 rifle ammunition and three magazines were recovered.
    Police Commissioner (CP) Chris Ezike confirmed the arrest, adding that victim has identified the suspects.
    He also confirmed the recoveries from the shrine, adding investigation was ongoing.

  • Imo, Southeast turn up heat on kidnappers

    Imo, Southeast turn up heat on kidnappers

    An anti-kidnap unit launched in Imo will make abductors in the state and the Southeast uncomfortable, reports OKODILI NDIDI 

    The Southeast was once a kidnappers’ paradise, recording between 25 and 30 high-profile kidnap cases every month. Those were the days of the invincible Vampire, who, along with his recruits, abducted, killed, and extracted ransom with ease from victims and their families. It amazed residents in the zone and beyond how the kidnap kingpin outwitted security personnel. It was more astonishing that even when he was apprehended and chained the Vampire still managed to escape. Those were days of terror in the Southeast, with clear consequences. Socio-economic activities went down. Investors fled.

    Some of the state governors in the zone, particularly Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, deployed huge amounts of money and other resources to combat the scourge. But the more the authorities fought kidnappers, including demolishing their properties, the more daring they became. Even after the police managed to overwhelm Vampire for the last time, his surviving victims still walk with fear.

    Not to worry, the dark days are over. The Southeast will soon be too hot for kidnap gangs and other criminals, thanks to the new Tactical Intelligence Unit (TIU) launched in Imo by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. The state government is also playing a big role in the new approach by providing up-to-date equipment to support the drive.

    Before, the police had relied on obsolete equipment and limited manpower to battle deadly and better equipped kidnap gangs.

    Aside from Lagos and Abuja, Imo is the only state where the new anti-kidnap unit has been commissioned. According to the IGP, the unit will provide intelligence for fighting kidnapping in the whole of the Southeast zone. That is not all; the police have also permanently deployed one of their surveillance and reconnaissance helicopters to the Imo State command to aid the fight against kidnapping in the zone.

    This is apart from the commissioning of a new Squadron of the Police Mobile Force to add to the existing Squadron in the state to shore up police manpower, as well as the Special Protection Unit (SPU), which is also newly built by the state government in Ideato South Council Area of the State.

    The Imo Governor, in additional efforts to compliment the Police, also donated brand new vehicles outside of the 100 Hilux vans he gave out to security agencies in the state during the early days of his administration to beef up security in the State.

    With these and other covert measures that have been put in place, the heat has surely been turned on the kidnap syndicates and one message is clear, they either relocate from the zone or meet their waterloo.

    Speaking during the commissioning of the Tactical Intelligence Unit, the Inspector General of Police observed that it will provide the needed intelligence to flush out kidnappers and other criminal elements from the zone.

    Assuring that the menace of kidnapping will be soon be a thing of the past following the commissioning the Intelligence Unit, the IGP, noted that “the new Unit will give the Police the capacity to nip kidnapping in the bud”.

    According to him, “it is one of the Units we are using to tackle kidnapping because it is an intelligence outfit that has given us capacity to pre-empt some of these kidnappings. When we came in we had only one of such Unit based in Abuja but we now have one in Lagos, one in Imo and one in Port Harcourt because we need to expand our capacity”.

    The IGP however emphasized the need of community participation in tackling kidnapping, asserting that, “the issue of kidnapping can be addressed on a two-prong action, which is Police action and the community participation. I think as community leaders, as parents, we need to discourage our youths who are taking kidnapping as a way of making easy money. We should put our heads together to ensure that our youths take their minds off this crime”.

    He however lamented that the Police is presently underfunded.

    In his words, “one of the challenges the Police is facing is funding, during the last security summit in Abuja, we all agreed that the Police is underfunded. The police needs more fund. We also recognized that under in a normal budgetary allocation we cannot get involved that is why we are trying to revive the Police Trust Fund Bill. We have been in touch with the leadership of the National Assembly to see how this Bill can be brought up and made operational. Because we believe that if the Nigeria Police Force must be very effective and stand on its feet the funding of the Police must be adequately addressed by all of us”.

    Also speaking shortly before handing over the keys to the brand new vehicles to the police boss at the Government House, Governor Okorocha, noted that his administration has done a lot to assist the Police in fighting kidnapping and other heinous crimes in the state.

    He described Imo as the most peaceful state in the country, stating that within the past six years, his administration was able to prove that crime can be curbed with development, stressing that “there are lesser crimes where there is development than where there is underdevelopment”.

    His words, “I had always proposed ideas on how to help the Nigeria Police. The first time that the Nigeria Police got 1000 SUVs was from me, Rochas, as a businessman and not as a politician. We often speak evil of the Nigeria police and we have not been able to appreciate what the Nigeria police stands for under the very painful situation they work, in the discharge of their duties. If there is one man that appreciates the Nigeria Police it is me. I first donated a college of administration, a brand new 200 bed hospital, mobile squadron unit, workshops.

    “The right place to site Zonal Office is Owerri because of its strategic position. Federal government alone cannot provide the needs of the Police so I want to set the pace so that other states can follow.”

     

  • Gunmen on rampage in Imo, kill three, cart away millions

    Gunmen on rampage in Imo, kill three, cart away millions

    Dare devil gunmen yesterday embarked on a killing spree in Owerri, the Imo State capital, leaving no fewer than three people dead.

    Many people were also wounded during the rampage, while a personal Assistant to a member of the State House of Assembly, was dispossessed of undisclosed sum of money.

    This was happening barely 24 hours after the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris visited the state.

    The gunmen numbering about four who operated in Siena bus, killed a tricycle operator at school road by MCC Junction and another passerby at Tetlow road, after they failed to kill a police man who was on duty on the street.

    According to an eyewitness, the assailants trailed the victim and double crossed him and robbed him of huge amount of money, suspected to be in foreign currency.

    According to the source, “the armed men numbering four double crossed the lawmaker’s Personal Assistant who was driving a white Hilux. They went straight to where a bag that was apparently containing the money was. The aide tried to resist them, but they shot him in his hand”.

    He said that the fleeing gunmen shot sporadically and killed one tricycle operator instantly and injured others.

    When our correspondent visited the scene, two lifeless bodies were seen on the spot.

    When contacted, the Police spokesperson in the state, Andrew Enwerem confirmed the incident, but said he was yet to be officially briefed.