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Tag: Sunny Nwankwo

  • Mixed reactions trail death of Aba businessman

    Mixed reactions trail death of Aba businessman

    • As woman dies in Aba market

    Mixed reactions have continued to trail the death of an Aba-based businessman identified as Mr Ezekiel Okechukwu who  reportedly died after a yet-to-be identified gunmen attacked and shot him at a popular bus stop (Ukwu Apu) along Umule in Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State.

    While unconfirmed reports have it that the man was shot by men of the Mobile Police Force (MPF) stationed at the location, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abia State Command ASP Ogbonnaya Nta debunked the reports, saying that the man according to entry made to the police by wife of the late businessman, Mrs Uju Okechukwu, has it that the killer of her husband was in mufti (plain cloth).

    However, sources within the area disagreed with the statement of the Police PPRO as they told reporters that the man who was suspected to be returning from a function with the wife died from a stray bullet as a result of accidental discharge from one of the police personnel on duty at the time of the incident.

    They said that the man who was abandoned by the police team in the pool of his blood died before help could come his way as the impact of the bullet shattered his brain.

    Some of the residents of the area told reporters that the situation caused pandemonium in the neighbourhood, forcing shop owners to close shops in an attempt to evade possible police mass arrest.

    According to one of the residents who spoke anonymously, “the mobile policemen on duty at Ukwu Apu was having an altercation with one of the keke Napep drivers, may be because the man refused to give him the usual royalty. It was while he was trying to stop the keke man from passing without dropping something that his gun and in the process killing the man whom we suspected was going home with his wife from a function when the unfortunate incident happened.

    “The man from what we were able to gather wedded his wife newly. It is really an unfortunate incident and we are using this opportunity to call on the police, government of Abia State, civil liberty organizations and other bodies to investigate the matter and also ensure that any security agent who abuses the use of arms will be properly prosecuted and punished for using arm(s) against the people that they are supposed to use the arms to protect.”

    Members of the victim’s family, until the time of this report cannot be reached, but Ogbonnaya Nta in a telephone conversation with our correspondent that men of the state police detective team from the state CID have swung into action with the hope of uncovering the people behind the killing of the man and stated that the commissioner of police in the state, CP Adeleye Oyebade would soon make the findings of the team public at the appropriate time.

    In another development, a yet-to-be identified woman said to be in her middle age has reportedly died in Aba as a result of an injury she sustained after falling on top of an  exposed iron from a yet to be completed gutter construction.

    The incident which took place at the popular Umungasi market along Aba-Owerri road at the weekend saw traders in the market abandoning their shops for about 2hrs and as such suspending commercial and trading activities within the period the apprehension lasted.

    A trader at the Umungasi market who gave her name as Ify while narrating how the incident happened said “on Saturday morning, we were around the market when we started hearing some people screaming. We rushed to the place and saw a woman said to be coming into the market to buy something bleeding profusely. People around the location said that the woman lost her footing while crossing the gutter and landed awkwardly on one of the exposed irons which pierced into her anus. Help came and she was pulled out from the iron with so much blood gushing out.

    “We don’t know why the contractor constructing this gutter refused to do his work properly. This iron has been like this in the past one year and we have at any opportunity begged the state government to ask the contractor to come back to the site to complete his project because we want to avoid this kind of thing, but all our entreaties failed on deaf ears. We want to use this opportunity to appeal to our listening governor to mandate the contractor to come and complete the project he has haphazardly done before it takes another person’s life.”

    Another male trader told our reporter that a yet to be confirmed report has it that the woman was reported to have died at an undisclosed hospital where she was receiving treatment, but Police PPRO said that he was yet to be informed about the incident when contacted on his mobile phone by our reporter.

  • Police kill robber as another escape with bullet wounds

    Police kill robber as another escape with bullet wounds

    Police Personnel of the Aba Area Command has reportedly smashed a gang of armed men said to be involved in kidnapping and carrying out robbery operations in Aba and its environs, killing a member of the gang.

    Unconfirmed reports have it that a member of the gang escaped with bullet wounds as the vehicle has been towed to the Azuka Police Station but in a bad condition as the car somersaulted severally after the driver lost control of the car.

    The incident, TheNation gathered, happened at a popular supermarket located along Ikot Ekpene Expressway some distance from the commercial city.

    The owner of the car, a Toyota Sienna car was said to have gone to the supermarket to shop when some men approached him and later made away with the victim’s mobile phones and other valuables.

    A police source told our reporter that the police was contacted by a good Samaritan who saw the incident.

    The source said that the Azuka Police station DPO having being instructed by the Aba Area Commander, Peter Wagbara, blocked suspected exit routes of the gang.

    The source said that the gunmen having noticed that the Eastern Ngwa Police Division had condoned the area which they were heading to started heading back to Aba where they met the Azuka Police team who opened fire on them on sighting their vehicle.

    The driver was said to have lost control of the car which somersaulted severally as it veered off the road.

    The driver reportedly died on the spot while the other occupants of the vehicle escaped with bullet wounds.

    When contacted, the Aba Area Commander, ACP Peter Wagbara confirmed the incident.

    Wagbara said that they are also working tirelessly to ensure that other fleeing members of the gang were arrested and brought to justice.

    He said that the corpse of the deceased has been deposited at a morgue in Aba.

    Pix below shows the charred vehicle in front of a filling station near Obikabia junction along New Umuahia road off Umuoba road.

  • Truck pushers protest imposition of levies, taxes

    Truck pushers protest imposition of levies, taxes

    Traders who came to buy goods at the popular Cemetery/Eziukwu market in Aba, the commercial hub of the state on Wednesday morning were subjected to a lot of difficulties conveying their goods to various parts of the city as Over 1000 truck and wheelbarrow pushers in the market protest alleged imposition of taxes and levies by market officials.

    The protest which lasted for over two hours, The Nation gathered took the intervention of various stakeholders in the market that prevailed on members of the association to resume operation in order to alleviate their customers of the sufferings that they were passing through taking their goods outside the market as a result of the protest.

    Some members of the association who spoke to our reporter at the market said that they took to the peaceful protest in order to register their displeasures over what they described as “imposition of taxes, levies and forceful wearing of an apron by the market authority” which they said that they were not consulted before its introduction.

    Mr. Victor Ezeoke (a.k.a Ezemuo), spokesman of the truck pushers in the market told reporters that the protest was to register their displeasure that they were not comfortable with the orders of the chairman, identified as Dunga Ohamadike.

    According to Ezeoke, truck pushers pay the sum of two hundred naira (N200) to the market authority while another member of the association, Emmanuel added that wheelbarrow pushers in the market also pay the sum of N100 daily to the market leadership that was not receipted for including the recent introduction of Apron and taxes which broke the camel’s back as the leadership of the market tried imposing it on them.

    Mr. Ogechukwu Ogbonna said: “the road is too bad and we struggle to carry people’s load even in its deplorable condition and yet the chairman of the market still have the mind to impose levy on us, this is what I do to feed myself and my family and settle other bills even though I suffered severely to get up to two hundred naira”. Still in his comment “yes the chairman want to use the medium to fish out the suspected criminals amongst us because I know we truly have them (criminals) within us but I believe that whoever that is into this job to steal is rightly a criminal from home.”

    In a telephone interview, the chairman of Eziukwu market, Ohamadike denied imposition of levies on the truck pushers, stressing that the introduction of the apron was means of identifying genuine truck pushers in the market after reported cases of customers losing their goods to fraudsters who cart away customer’s goods running into thousands of naira.

    According to the chairman, he has asked the truck pushers to bring surety that will stand in for them before they could be allowed to operate in the market.

  • Don’t panic, I remain your governor- Ikpeazu tells Abians

    Don’t panic, I remain your governor- Ikpeazu tells Abians

    The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has called on Abians not to panic, but remain calm over the judgment of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja delivered today in favor of Mr. Uche Oga against him, in the case of alleged falsification of tax receipts.
    In a release by his chief Press Secretary, Enyinnaya Appolos, Governor Ikpeazu, who said that he has faith in the judiciary and the rule of law, added that he will appeal the ruling as he has instructed his lawyers to file an appeal immediately against the said judgment.
    The Governor noted as an appointee of the Abia State Government from 2011 to 2014, when he served as the General Manager, Abia State Passengers Integrated Manifest and Safety Scheme (ASPIMSS), and first Deputy General Manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) Aba and Environs respectively, before his resignation in October 2014 to contest the Governorship election in the state, that within the period  his taxes were deducted at source, and when he had need of his tax clearance in 2014, he applied to the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue, and was duly issued with his tax receipts for the period in question.
    He maintained that he remains the Governor of the state, according to the law and will await the final determination of the matter by the appellate courts.
  • Update: Businesses close as soldiers, butchers clash in Aba

    Update: Businesses close as soldiers, butchers clash in Aba

    Economic and business activities were on Thursday in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State shutdown as butchers at Popular Waterside, along Aba-Ikot Ekpene road clashed with soldiers for allegedly killing two of their members.

    The incident which occurred between the hours of 12pm or thereabouts caused pandemonium within the area and Ogbor Hill axis causing many business owners to close for businesses as they feared that the situation could take another dimension and fear of massive arrest by the security agencies.

    It was gathered that some butchers that sustained injuries as a result of the gunshots and sporadic shootings were taken to different hospitals within the metropolis where they are receiving medical attention as at the time of filing this report.

    Efforts to reach the leaders of the market proved abortive, but sources around the area told our reporter that some of the leaders of the butchers association were at the Aba Area Command of Nigeria Police Force where the body of one of the dead members was taken to after police took the corpse from some of the protesters had wanted to demonstrate round the city with the body.

    Information has it that the situation which started taking ethnic and religious coloration forced many Hausas to flee for safety at the nearest police division, while security agencies moved into areas domiciled by the Hausas with their Hilux vans and moved them to the Aba Area Command where they were said to be taking refuge in the event of any reprisal attack.

    When our reporter visited the Aba abattoir at Waterside, Mosque by Hospital road and other flash points within the metropolis, Hilux vans of various security agencies were stationed at strategic points to apparently forestall any breakdown of law and order or hoodlums ceasing the opportunity to unleash mayhem on residents.

  • Police kill armed robber, arrest one, another at large

    Police kill armed robber, arrest one, another at large

    Personnel of Nigerian Police Force, Uzoakoli Division, Abia State Command has successfully nipped in the bud, the activities of hoodlums who have been terrorising Uzoakoli and its environs.

    Reports have it that while a member of the gang identified as Golden was killed in a cross fire between the police and the hoodlums, while Ekeoma Onuoha was arrested and in police custody.

    It was gathered that the police have launched manhunt on another member of the gang identified as James Kalu.

    The Nation gathered that the dislodging of the gang by the police brought joy amonst residents of the community who said that their joy knows no bounds and thanked the police for a job well done.

    Confirming the incident, Police Command Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke Udeviotu said the incident happened at about 9pm on Wednesday.

    Udeviotu said that the DPO of Uzoakoli Division after receiving information that the gang who specialised in motorcycle and car snatching were within the area mobilized his men with the support of some members of the local vigilante to confront the hoodlums and in a cross fire,one of them was shot.

    According to him, the hoodlums after sighting the police and the vigilante members opened fire on them and the police responded,killing one while the other member gang escaped.

    The PPRO further disclosed that the police operatives also recovered a motorcycle they were operating on and a Jojeff Pump action riffle, adding that the matter has been transferred to the state CID for further investigation on the matter.

  • Kanu’s trial: MASSOB berates masking of witnesses

    Kanu’s trial: MASSOB berates masking of witnesses

    Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) faction led by Uchenna Madu has berated that masking of prosecution witnesses by the Department of Security Service (DSS) in the trial of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

    The group on Wednesday described the process as an act of cowardice on the part of the Federal Government and the DSS.

    In a statement, comrade Uchenna Madu stated that the insistence of the Federal Government through the DSS to hide the identity of their witnesses was not only an act of cowardice, but a sign of not being serious and unsteadiness.

    According to him, the prosecution was insisting on masked witnesses because they had no genuine witnesses as the ones they earlier had been exposed and it now behooves on the prosecution to use personnel of DSS who would appear with Igbo names as witnesses, to create the negative impression that Ndigbo are against Kanu.

    “Those the DSS contracted to come and give false witness against Kanu, on finding the truth, declined to come forward. To accomplish their evil plans, they have decided to use their personnel who would bear Igbo names to come and give witness against Kanu, to create the impression that he (Kanu) is not liked by Ndigbo and that is why they want to cover their faces in court and at the end, they will cover their faces in shame,” he said.

    The MASSOB leader said it was absurd for the DSS to allege that some pro Biafra agitators were plotting to invade the court and forcefully free the IPOB leader.

    He wondered how the DSS has suddenly become confused and described the reason that IPOB and MASSOB members would invade a courtroom located at the 3rd floor of the Federal High Court building and manned by heavily armed security operatives as frivolous. 

    He said that although the arrest and detention of Kanu have revived the consciousness of Biafra to a higher dimension and stated that the group absolute faith in God that Kanu would soon be set free at last.

    While calling on all pro-Biafra groups to rally round Kanu, Madu warned that the continued detention of Kanu will “bring more devastating diplomatic doom for Nigeria now and in the future.”

  • Black day for Abia community as gunmen assassinate monarch

    The people of Ikeala Ahiaba Autonomous Community in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State were on Tuesday thrown into mourning when the news broke in the community that their traditional ruler, HRH Eze James Nwabekee was assassinated by unknown gunmen.
    The incident it was gathered happened at about 10pm Monday night when most of the villagers must have gone to bed.
    Though the reason for the killing of the traditional ruler as at press time was still sketchy, it was gathered that the gunmen who invaded the traditional ruler’s palace also attempted killing one of the late traditional ruler’s son who escaped by the whiskers.
    The body of the traditional ruler, according to reports has been deposited in an undisclosed mortuary.
    A source in the community who spoke anonymously narrating the incident as was gathered from a family source told our correspondent that the gunmen after killing also injured other members of the family, though they were to know the number of wounded persons.
    The source said that the incident has thrown the community into panic as they were yet to know the reason why the gunmen could invade the palace of the monarch to unleash such a dastardly act on their king.
    When contacted on his mobile phone, Abia State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ezekiel Onyeke Udeviotu confirmed the incident.
    According to Udeviotu, the gunmen were four in number, stressing that the incident happened “around 01:25hrs.”
     He further disclosed that the wife of the Obingwa king was severely shot by the gunmen and that she is currently receiving medical attention in an undisclosed hospital, stating the reason such dastardly act was yet to be established.
    “From the look of things, the gunmen were ready to take more lives, because after killing the monarchy in his palour, they went to one of his son’s room and shattered it with bullet. But one of his sons escaped being shot after he ran away into the bush,” PPRO explained
    He said that the State CID investigation team were already investigating the matter and would not want to speculate any reason for the invasion until investigation into the matter was concluded even as he appealed to members of the public with useful information to make such available to the police.
    While assuring of the safety of Abians and visitors to the state, he said that they leave no stone unturned in unraveling the mystery behind the murdering and assassinating of the Abia monarch in his house by the gunmen, urging the of Ikeala Ahiaba Autonomous Community to remain law abiding citizens and avoid taking laws into their hands.
  • Angry traders ground commercial activities in Aba

    Angry traders ground commercial activities in Aba

  • Thugs threaten The Nation man

    Unidentified thugs on Monday in Aba, Abia State, threatened to kill the Aba Correspondent of The Nation, Sunny Nwankwo, over a story that he was alleged to have written against the government.
    Sources said about five thugs stormed No. 76 St. Michael’s road, Aba, The Sun’s office in search of the reporter.
    It was gathered that the men beat the workers and vendors at the The Sun office.
    Narrating the incident, an injured worker, said “about three hefty men came to our office some minutes to 9 a.m., asking about Sunny Nwankwo, a reporter in Aba. We told them that we don’t know him. Not convinced by our response, they went ahead to show us the number the said Sunny, we still told them that we don’t know the number.
    Another person standing at the door made calls and after the call, walked in and started beating everybody. They hit me with the calculator I was using to check returns from vendors. The vendors were also beaten up. They alleged that the Sunny has been writing negative reports about the government.”
    He alleged that the thugs, who arrived at the office in a branded cab with the inscription, ‘Ochendo Youth Empowerment Scheme taxi’ made away with N27, 527, which was part of the money they collected from vendors.
    The worker said the thugs promised to come back to burn down the office.