Author: James Nwakere

THE Abia State House of Assembly has passed into law, H.A.B 11: A Bill for a ‘Law to Repeal The Abia State Governors & Deputy Governors Pensions Law No 4 of 2001 and for other Matters Connected Therewith’ sponsored by the Majority Leader and member representing Arochukwu State Constituency Okoro Uchenna Kalu. The passage of the bill followed its first and second readings, the consideration by the committee of the whole before its 3rd reading during Tuesday’s plenary at the hallowed chamber. According to the Speaker Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa who announced the passage of the bill, when accented to…

A SENATOR representing Delta North. Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko, has claimed that he received more than N1 billion for constituency projects in the 2024 budget. Nwoko corroborated Senator Ali Ndume’s claims that the allocation of resources to the legislators often varies based on the magnitude of their constituency projects, indicating that it’s not uncommon for some, including himself, to receive larger amounts. “Senators get what they lobby for, not because they have the right to it. Everybody just goes about doing what they can do for their constituencies and senatorial districts. “A better approach would have been for senatorial uniformity.…

SOME yet-to-be-identified number of persons may have been trapped as a five-storey building under construction collapsed at Basden Street, Fegge, in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State. It was gathered that the building, meant to serve commercial purposes on completion, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday while some of the construction workers were on the last floor. An excavator has quickly been moved to the site to begin the evacuation of rubbles and possible rescue operations of any trapped victims. The reason for the collapse has not yet been ascertained but as of the time of filing this…

SOME suspected gunmen, in the early hours of Friday, attacked a police checkpoint at Ebiya Bridge along the Hilltop area of Ebonyi Local Government area of Ebonyi State. Sources in the area confirmed that six policemen were brutally murdered, and two girls suspected to be civilians were said to have equally been killed during the violent attack. The attack on police operatives at the Ebiya Bridge police checkpoint is not new as a similar incident happened on November 17, 2023, where two police officers on patrol were murdered by suspected gunmen. The Ebonyi Police Command is yet to confirm this…

FIVE persons have been reported dead in the building collapse at the Oduigbo section of Ochanja Market in Onitsha South Local Government Area. Following this newspaper’s report on Tuesday, the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, visited the scene of the incident where he condoled with the victims of the mishap. Our correspondent gathered that three of the five buildings under construction at the market collapsed on Monday evening, trapping several people under the rubble. So far, twenty-six people have been rescued with five fatalities reported. While addressing the crowd, Governor Soludo recalled that he had instructed that no…

THE Imo State Police Command has confirmed an attack on a Correctional Service Farm Settlements, in Umualomoke community in the Okigwe Local Government Area of the state leading to the release of seven inmates, the abduction of the officer in charge of the farm settlement, and the death of a police inspector. In a statement by the police spokesman, Henry Okoye, the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has deployed the Command’s Special Tactical Squad to go all out in synergy with the military and other sister security agencies and hunt down those responsible for the attack. He also confirmed that…

FIVE pregnant girls have been rescued following a raid of a baby factory by security operatives at Umunya in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State. The rescue efforts followed a collaboration of the Anambra State Ministry of Health and security agencies in the South-Eastern state. Briefing journalists on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike said it was observed that the baby factory was functioning as a hospital but it was a base for child trafficking. He identified the facility as ‘Mother and Child Hospital and Maternity located on a road along the Tansian University, Umunya. “We found…

FIVE persons have been killed in an oil-producing community of Obitti in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State following an explosion that occurred at an illegal bunkering site in the area. Confirming the incident to this newspaper, the spokesman for the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, said the unfortunate incident happened due to the illegal activities of oil thieves at a place called Obitti Rubber Estate popularly known for nefarious activities of oil vandals. According to him, five vandals were killed, a fuel tanker burnt down and several properties and farmlands destroyed. According to villagers, who were…

COMBINED troops of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force in conjunction with the Nigerian Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, have discovered remains of two kidnapped police officers in the camp of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and it’s armed affiliate Eastern Security Network (ESN). The discovery follows a raid of several camps of the IPOB/ESN) along Umulolo – Umukele – Amousu and Agbobu in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State. According to a statement put out by the army on Saturday, the troops stormed and destroyed hideouts of the terrorist…

THE Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Abia State University, Uturu, Professor Godwin Emezue, was on Friday abducted by unknown gunmen in Umuekwu Amachara, Umuahia South Local Government Area of the state. Disclosing this in a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Police Command, ASP Maureen Chinaka, said the DVC was in company of his wife where he was purchasing fuel at a petrol station when he was abducted. She said that the gunmen confiscated the victim’s wife’s ATM card, dragged the Deputy Vice-Chancellor into a Lexus SUV, and drove away with him. The PPRO said the Command…

THE 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, have made the Economic Advisory Council composed by the Abia State Governor Alex Otti. Others on the list are a former director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Arunma Oteh, a statement from the Abia State Government has said. The council is part of Governor Otti’s efforts in repositioning the state’s economic sector. Otti, who spoke at the inauguration of the council on Thursday, said his administration does not know it all and that it is seeking guidance from the 19-member…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has arrived in Owerri the Imo State capital for the second term inauguration of Governor Hope Uzodimma. Tinubu, who had earlier taken part in a wreath-laying ceremony to mark the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, landed in the state around 1pm on Monday. He was received at the Sam Mbakwe Airport by Governor Uzodimma and a host of top government functionaries and leaders in the South-East state. The Nigerian president was accompanied by some officials and will commission projects in the state after the inauguration at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri. Aside from Tinubu, some governors…

THE Emir of Kano, His Highness Aminu Ado Bayero, has said that he will continue to identify and promote activities that will foster peace between the North, the South-East and indeed, all regions in the country to ensure that it is sustained in Nigeria. Emir Bayero’s assurance was contained in his speech at the recent unveiling of Peace in South-East Project (PISE-P) in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. The initiative championed by the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, seeks non-kinetic approach towards resolving the security challenges in the South-East region of…

TWO policemen have been gunned down in Anambra State by some suspected kidnappers wearing military camouflage. The command in a statement on Friday said the officers were killed around Uga roundabout in Aguata Local Government Area of the state. The assailants were reportedly on a kidnap mission, when a team of policemen attached to a motorcade ran into them on Thursday night. The command said the officers were trying to clear the traffic gridlock, when the gunmen shot two of them dead and fled the scene. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed that…

THE Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the election of Peter Mbah as the governor of Enugu State. The apex court resolved all the issues in favour of the first respondent (Governor Peter Mbah). A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba held that the Labour Party and its candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, failed to prove the allegations of substantial non-compliance with the electoral law. The court also dismisses the allegation of NYSC certificate forgery, one of the basis for which the Labour Party governorship candidate wanted the court to disqualify Governor Peter Mbah. Mbah was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate…

THE International Association Of World Peace Advocates IAWPA has announced the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force, IGP Kayode Egbetokun as the recipient of its Most Friendly NGO Personality of the Year 2023. The association  in a letter written to IGP Egbetokun and sighted by our correspondent said the award is in consonant with the partnership for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs especially in the area of peace and security. The letter also notified the IGP of the plans to immortalise the IGP award by kick-starting the IGP -SDG FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT aimed at promoting and sustaining…

A FORMER governor of Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, is dead. Ezeife died at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, on Thursday, according to a short press release issued on Friday and signed by Chief Rob Ezeife, on behalf of the family. Born on November 20, 1938, the deceased fondly called ‘Okwadike’, was governor of Anambra state between January 1992 to November 1993 during the aborted Third Republic. The statement read, “On behalf of the Ezeife Dynasty of Igbo-Ukwu, I wish to announce the promotion to glory of our most distinguished son, ‘Okwadike’, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, CON, a former Federal Permanent…

TROOPS of Sector 1 Exercise GOLDEN DAWN III in conjunction with other security agencies following a credible intelligence report has on Wednesday apprehended a commander of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and it’s armed affiliate the Eastern Security Network (ESN) one Mr Uchechukwu Akpa. Three other members of the group were also arrested alongside the commander at their hideout within Christ the King Catholic Church Ameta Mgbowo in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State. The arrest was made possible during a raid operation of their hideout while holding a meeting to take over the leadership of IPOB/ESN…

THE Supreme Court will tomorrow (December 15th) deliver judgement on the appeal seeking to compel the Federal Government to release the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from detention. A five-member panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun had in October fixed the date after counsel for both the Federal Government and the detained IPOB leader adopted their final briefs of argument. While Kanu Agabi led the IPOB leader’s team of lawyers, Mike Ozehkome, presented his appeal to the apex court panel. Ozehkome prayed the court to not only order the immediate release of his client…

A FIRE officer has died in a fire incident at the Auto Parts Market, Coal-Camp in the Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State. Confirming the incident to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday, the Director of Enugu State Fire Service, Mr Okwudili Ohaa, said the staff slumped and died after successfully stopping the fire that broke out in the Enugu Motor Spare Parts Market, known as Tinker. Ohaa stated the men of the fire service arrived at the scene at about 1.15 am with three fire trucks to put out the fire which started by midnight Wednesday from a…