Author: James Nwakere

SEVEN people including members of a local vigilante group were feared killed in an attack by gunmen on Porsche nightclub at Oba, in the Idemili Local Government of Anambra State on Sunday. Confirming the incident in a phone call, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the police recovered some bodies from the scene. He added that several others sustained injuries. While the police did not put a number to the casualties, a source put the number of those killed during the attack at seven. According to DSP Ikenga, the police were alerted upon receiving…

THE Supreme Court has dismissed an application by Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Imo State seeking to be issued a certificate of return as rightful Governor of Imo State, stating that Governor Hope Uzodinma wasn’t qualified to run in the first place. In a ruling read by Justice Tijjani Abubakar on Tuesday, the apex court dismissed the application for lacking in merit, describing it as unnecessary and vexatious and such awarded the cost of N40 million against Mike Ozekhome for bringing the matter before the court. Those to be paid are the Action People’s Party (APP),…

THE police authorities in Imo State have arrested the suspected killers of a Divisional Police Officer and an Inspector at Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of the state. Parading the suspects at the Command Headquarters in Owerri the Imo State capital on Sunday, the Commissioner of Police, Danjuma Aboki, said the relentless efforts of the police and other security operatives in unravelling the killers of the police officers led to the invasion of Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network camp at Umuohie in Ngor Okpala LGA of the state. He stated that while several terrorists were dislodged, several arms and…

AN Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State in a unanimous decision on Saturday, upheld the victory of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti at the polls, stressing that it conformed with the provisions of the Electoral Act. The court of dismissed the appeals brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their governorship candidates against Otti’s victory. The appellate court ruled that petitions brought by the appellants lacked in merit, as they were like “a comedy skit brought to a democratic setting”. The court said issues of political party membership is a pre-election matter, which…

THERE was drama on Tuesday as Court ordered forensic inspection of INEC materials used in the November 11 Imo guber election particularly BVAS, but Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused the Labour Party access to the materials. The process was slated to start by 3pm but was delayed till about 4pm and to the chagrin of many, INEC did not communicate the procedure for inspection, neither did they make available the BVAS for inspection. INEC did not also have an established protocol on what and how to inspect the materials. Based on that,  Barr Callistus Ihejiagwa said Labour Party will…

GUNMEN have killed two officers and a civilian in an attack on a police checkpoint in Imo, the state police command said Monday. The assault happened at Ahiara Junction in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, raising tensions in the area. Sources say upon arrival at the junction, the hoodlums opened fire on the cops who died on the spot while a stray bullet killed the other person, a passer-by. But the spokesman of the Command Henry Okoye says the Commissioner of Police Imo State Command Aboki Danjuma, Commander 34 Artillery Brigade, and Joint Task Force (JTF) operatives…

THE lawmaker representing Nkwerre/Isu/Njaba federal constituency of Imo State express gratitude to friends, colleagues and associates that honoured him with a surprise birthday in Abuja over the weekend At 46, he says “I dedicate this day to my mother, my siblings, my family and my constituency who stood by me right from my early days growing up when I began as a councillor in my ward”. ” I was a councillor before emerging as member of Imo State Assembly rising to become the  Speaker during the tenure of His Excellency Rochas Okorocha”. ” This is my second appearance at the…

LESS than 24 hours after his abduction, the traditional ruler of Otulu Amumara autonomous community in Ezinihitte Mbaise local government area of Imo State, Eze Joe-Benz Ochulor, has been found dead with one of his legs severed off his body. An indigene of the area, Frank Nwaete, told this newspaper that the late monarch was discovered along the Chokoneze-Mbutu Road in Aboh Mbaise local government area of the State but with one of his legs chopped off by unknown assailants. Eze Ochulo, who until his death was the Olu 1 of Otulu-Amumara, was whisked away from his palace by gunmen…

THE Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Imo State, Athan Achonu, on Thursday, led his supporters to protest the outcome of the November 11 poll at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja. Two weeks ago, the electoral body declared Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election. The results have since been rejected by the LP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who alleged the exercise was marred by irregularities. According to INEC, Uzodimma polled 540,308 votes to beat Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 71,503…

THE Association of Resident Doctors, Enugu chapter has given the state government a 14-day ultimatum to employ new doctors in the health institution or risk industrial action. In a communique issued at its Emergency General Meeting (EGM) and signed by the association’s President, Dr Chukwunonso Ofonere, the body resolved that there should be urgent approval for the recruitment of medical officers, resident doctors and house officers in the hospital especially at the Accident and Emergency Department, surgery department, internal medicine department, paediatrics department, obstetrics and gynaecology departments etc. According to Ofonere, the resident doctors in the aforementioned department have left…

THE Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Enugu State chapter, has threatened to down tool if the state government and security agencies fail to address the rising trend of kidnapping of health workers in the state. According to NMA, no fewer than 10 health workers had fallen victim to kidnap, particularly from their work places in the past two months. In a communique signed by the state Chairman of NMA, Dr Celestine Ugwoke; and General Secretary, Dr Sunday Okafor, the Union after an Emergency General Meeting (EGM), on Wednesday, resolved to notify the state government and all security agencies in the state…

THE Abia State Government has shut down 197 private schools in the state for operating below minimum standard. The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Okey Kanu, stated this while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting. Kanu said that the closure of the schools was in line with the determination of the government to reform the education sector. He made it public that about 900 schools have so far been inspected in the ongoing school inspection exercise. “The inspection of schools is ongoing and as at the last count, about 900 schools have been inspected. A…

BARELY two weeks after the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, was allegedly assaulted by security operatives in Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma, says he regrets the attack on the labour leader. Ajaero was picked up from the NLC State Council Secretariat by heavily armed policemen in Owerri on Wednesday, November 1 and taken to an unknown destination. As a result, there were allegations by the organised labour that Ajaero was brutalised by the police authorities in the state. However, the Imo State Police Command said the labour leader was taken into protective custody. Days after Ajaero’s…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the November 11, 2023 governorship election in the state. The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof Abayomi Fashina, who was the state Returning Officer declared Uzodimma re-elected on Sunday morning at about 10 am after over eight hours of collation of local government results. “That you Hope Uzodimma of APC having satisfied the law is hereby returned elected,” Fashina declared. Uzodimma was first declared as Imo State governor by the Supreme Court in January 2020 after the nullification…

GOVERNOR Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 17 of the 27 local government results announced so far in the November 11, 2023 governorship poll. Collation of results at the State Collation Centre started around 02:30am on Sunday in Owerri, the state capital, with the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof Abayomi Fashina, as the state Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the election. Though 18 parties fielded candidates in the poll, this year’s governorship election in Imo State has been described by analysts as a four-horse race between APC’s…

SECURITY operatives have foiled an attempt by political thugs to abduct the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State. The thugs had invaded a Registration Area Centre in Amaimo, Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state, with the intention of carting away election materials. Attempt by the thugs to whisk away the INEC officials into their waiting vehicle was repelled by the security operatives deployed in the centre. An eyewitness disclosed that the armed security operatives fired into the air from a distance, when voters in the area raised an alarm over the presence of the…

AN official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the Oguta Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State, on Saturday, claimed that some armed men invaded her polling unit and carted away result sheets. Sandra Adimonye, INEC Presiding Officer at Town School, Egwe Egbuoma Ward in the Oguta LGA, said the men came on motorbikes and took away result sheets. She said even though voting is ongoing, the incident has been reported to INEC to bring new result sheets so that figures will be entered after the voting exercise. The development led to a heated argument between the electoral…

TENSION was high at the Orji Town Primary School in Owerri North as vote-buying allegations nearly marred the governorship election at the centre. The centre housing unit 005, 006, and 007 was peaceful but an argument erupted intermittently between party agent who seemed hell-bent on canvassing to buy votes for their parties. Voter apathy was recorded at the Government House Polling Units to Amimo in Ikeduru Local Government Area where the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, cast his vote to Uzuhomuma 001 in Oru-East local government where the incumbent Governor, Hope Uzodimma cast his vote. Also,…

THE governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Athan Achonu, and his wife, Aisha Achonu have cast their votes in the governorship election in Imo State. Achonu, while, speaking shortly after casting his vote at his polling unit in the Omunumo community in the Ehime Mbano local Government Area of Imo State, commended INEC on the conduct of the polls. He appealed to INEC to redeem its image by ensuring transparency and credibility throughout the voting process. Achonu said at first the residents were feeling threatened by the unusual security movement across the community and the state. He said, “We…

DESPITE growing controversy and calls that the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Imo State, Prof Sylvia Agu, be removed, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that there is no reason to remove the official. “The REC will conduct the election,” said Rotimi Oyekanmi on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday monitored by News Point Nigeria. Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, noted that there was no reason to remove the REC, adding that complaints against Agu were based on suspicion. He said, “We don’t have any reason to remove her from there…