₦airaland Forum

An assistant superintendent of police, Ifeanyi Henry, is in custody for causing panic at Aba Central Police station where he pulled a gun and began shooting sporadically.

Henry ran amok, Hollywood style, at Okwu na Uka Street and St Michael’s Road, linking the main gate of the station when he suddenly pulled his pistol and began shooting sporadically, assaulting women, children and store owners.

It was learnt that the incident began around 7pm Saturday when ASP Henry started manhandling women, children and store owners close to the station for no reason and without any provocation.

Abia police spokesman, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, said Henry was currently in custody.

“The Nigerian police is a very disciplined organisation. And there are laid down procedures in handling the issue of any erring officer irrespective of his rank and cadre.

“I condemn the actions of the police officer and I have to tell you that he is in custody right now and he will be treated departmentally,” Ogbonna said.

Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that Henry was seen with his pistol which he fired severally, battering and assaulting people including wives of his fellow police officers who own shops very close to the Aba CPS gate.

One of the women who sells roasted chicken, yams and plantains had all her goods thrown into the gutter by the ASP, who also destroyed her kiosk and beat her up mercilessly.

It was gathered that at first, some passers-by wanted to attack him when he was manhandling the woman who sells roasted chicken, but only withdrew when they discovered he was a police officer in mufti.

Daily Trust gathered from witnesses that throughout the incident, everyone believed that the ASP was under the influence of drugs, as he repeatedly scared fellow police officers with his pistol and ran after and beat whoever he saw to beat them.

The matter worsened when he stopped shooting in the air and began aiming directly at people only for his pistol to jam.

He bent over to fix the jammed pistol when mobile police officers around rushed in to disarm him.

As they were taking him quietly into the station, Henry caused another scare by grabbing an AK-47 rifle held by one of the officers in a bid to continue his shooting spree.

It took the intervention of the mobile police officers who repeatedly heat him hard in the arm before the let go of the gun while they bundled him inside the police station.

After the incident, the adjoining streets around the Aba CPS became deserted while some persons who suffered several losses and injuries were seen crying and treating themselves close to the Aba General Hospital that is adjacent to the station.

Reno Omokri, a former media assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has shared a secret revealed to him by a friend who was a member of a white garment church.

Omokri was speaking about the money rain at the burial of the mother of Obi Cubana in Oba, Anambra State, at the weekend, quoting his friend as saying that as people pick the money sprayed on them, the more the sprayer’s wealth will keep growing.

DAILY POST reported earlier that top Nigerian celebrities such as Davido, Phyno, Kcee, among others on Friday stormed Oba for the burial of Obi Cubana’s mother.

D’banj, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Alex Ekubo, E-Money and many other influential Nigerians were also among the guests at the much talked about burial.

Several celebrities, businesspeople and politicians turned out in large numbers for the funeral and were seen throwing money in the air.

The burial became the talk of the town among Nigerians as viral videos showed celebrities such as Zubi Michael lavishly displaying their wealth in Oba.

Omokri advised people to always give their parents food to eat while they are alive, adding that it is one million times better than giving strangers food to eat after they die!

“True story: I know a guy who attended a white garment ‘church’ in the 80s (thankfully, he is now born again). One of the spiritual rites they used to have him do was spray money on beggars. They told him as long as those people pick it up, his wealth will pick up,” he tweeted.

“Isaac did not bless Jacob because he gave him a good burial. He blessed him because he gave him food to eat-Genesis 27:25-30. Giving your parents food to eat while they are alive is one million times better than giving strangers food to eat after they die!

“Hustle. Work hard. Work smart. Do everything legally possible to make a success of yourself. Not because you want to give your parents a talk of the town burial, but because you want to give them a talk of the town life. When they die, they can’t enjoy your success.”

He added, “The Spraying of Sunny Ade Versus The Spraying of Obi Cubana. Who Won?”

Deji Adeyanju, popular Nigerian activist has joined those questioning the source of Obi Cubana’s wealth.

Obi Cubana went viral on Friday on social media after he hosted a lavish star-studded burial ceremony for his late mother.

Adeyanju on his Twitter page called for caution as he opined that richest men don’t throw money the way it ‘rained’ at the burial ceremony at Oba, Anambra state.

Making reference to Hushpuppi who showcased his lifestyle on social media before he was arrested in Dubai, Adeyanju warned Cubana and others spraying bundles of Naira note to be careful of attracting FBI and EFCC.

On his Twitter page, the activist wrote: “This was how some of us kept asking what Hushpuppi was doing that he was throwing money up and down but we were called names and insulted. Today, he is in an American jail.

“Even the richest men in the world won’t throw money up and down anyhow. Continue attracting FBI and EFCC.

“Hushpuppi once made several videos mocking me that I am jealous of him. That I should focus on politicians, activism and allow him to enjoy his money. Today, how far? We cannot watch you guys negatively brainwash young people and say nothing. Nobody hates poverty like me but, easy.”

Adeyanju further advised Nigerians not to be pressured to make money through illegal means like Yahoo, Kidnapping and banditry.

“Don’t allow anyone put you under pressure of any kind. Gradually, you will get there. Societal pressure is why some people have turned kidnapping, Yahoo Yahoo and even banditry into a profession,” he wrote.

Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, who attended the burial of the mother of Obinna Iyiegbu, better known as Obi Cubana, has explained why he took time to be there.

The burial, which held at Oba in Idemili North Local Government of Anambra State, has been the talk of town.

Businessmen, politicians, musicians, actors all attended the event.

Pictures and videos of the event have been trending on social media.

Some of the persons who saw the picture of Kyari at the burial expressed shock, lamenting that the services of the super cop are needed in other areas at a time of high level of insecurity the country.

But in a Facebook post, Kyari said he attended the funeral because of his relationship with Iyiegbu, whom he described as hardworking.

“Obinna Iyiegbu popularly known as Obi Cubana is one of the most hardworking entrepreneur and Humble personality that I have known for many years. He is a brother and Good Friend.”

“For his good nature and Good heart, Today I had to Squeeze out time from my busy schedule to Honor him, by Attending the burial of his Beloved Mom In Oba town Anambra State.

“May GOD Almighty Give the Family the Fortitude to bear the Great loss. Amen.”

Recent revelations by Governor Dapo Abiodun about the worrisome state of roads in Ogun State seems to be a confirmation that his administration may not be well in touch with the people of the Gateway State, DAILY POST reports.

Abiodun, in the past few days, have been making comments that show he was not aware that the majority of the roads linking various communities in Ogun State have totally collapsed.

This, it was observed, came as a surprise to many residents of the State who have never kept quiet over the poor condition of roads in their localities.

“Does this mean the governor doesn’t read comments on his social media handles? Does it mean he doesn’t watch television, read newspapers or listen to radio so as to know the condition of the roads in Ogun State?” a resident of Abeokuta, Biodun Adeniran queried.

Recently, Gov Abiodun has been traversing the length and breadth of Ogun State to seek the support of residents for the forthcoming local government elections.

Abiodun confirmed that he had not visited many of the local governments since two years ago when he assumed office.

This, it was observed, did not avail him the opportunity to know what Ogun indigenes encounter daily while plying the roads.

But as the governor goes out to campaign for candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he, without being told, sees the suffering of the people as he lamented that he pitied them.

Before he started the local government election campaign, Abiodun had visited Iberekodo area of Abeokuta North to inspect the Arakanga Water works.

Seeing the pitiable condition of the road, the Governor said he felt like his government has not done anything on roads.

“On my way coming here, I saw this road and I felt sad because the road is too bad. And we have been embarking on construction of roads across the state, but this road now makes it look like we have not done anything. All these roads cannot be completed even if someone is governor for 20 years,” he confessed.

The story was the same when Abiodun went to Imeko/Afon Local Government to flag off the APC campaign on Monday.

Addressing the people of Imeko/Afon, Abiodun said he was taken aback with the condition of the roads from Lafenwa to Olorunda.

“When I was coming from Abeokuta and I rode on that road from Lafenwa to Rounder, down to Olorunda, till I got here, I was just shaking my head. I pity myself and I pity you too. It was just too painful. I was just calling the Commissioner for Works like 10 times that this road is so bad. This is just too unbearable,” he lamented.

On his visit to Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Abiodun’s convoy was flagged by residents who came out in their numbers to protest the poor condition of the roads in the industrial hub.

Seeing the situation of things, Abiodun could not help saying he almost shed tears when he saw what the people go through daily on the roads in Ota axis.

“When I was coming here today, I almost shed tears. It is very painful to me. Why is the suffering (on this road) this much,” the Governor cried out.

In his words, the Governor blamed the Federal Government for failing to handover the road to him for rehabilitation.

He, however, disclosed that he had directed the Commissioner for Works to find a means of ameliorating the suffering on the road to Joju junction.

In Ifo, the people groaned over the state of Ojodu, Akute axis roads, as the Governor promised to borrow money to fix same, saying, nonetheless, that “I cannot do everything.”

DAILY POST reports that the situation is the same in the local governments visited by Abiodun so far, especially those in Ogun West.

Addressing the people of Yewa South on Friday, the state helmsman expressed shock that the Owode-Ilaro road graduated from being bad to worse after it rained.

Abiodun said: “I left Abeokuta today (Friday), I passed through Owode-Ilaro road to Ipokia, when the rain had not fallen, and I said ‘this road is bad’. But when I was coming back, it had rained, then I saw that the road is worse. But I brought the Commissioners of Work and Finance with me. I told them, ‘can you see your life?’ I have told them that the road must be completed before the end of this year.”

Meanwhile, Gov Abiodun has promised to address the problems people face on the roads.

He said his administration had completed about 270 kilometres of road in the last two years, stressing that constructions are going in 18 out of the 20 local governments in the State.

However, Ogun people maintained that the condition of roads in the State are still very poor, especially the ones belonging to the Federal Government.

“It’s only 15% roads in Ogun State that are road worthy, 85% of the road is in a terrible state,” one Olutosin David said.

Adewale Adesoye posited, “People at Agbado-Ijoko road are nothing to you, well it will be a shame to your party if that road is not completed.”

Muheeb Olatunde, an indigene of Ogun Waterside said, “You didn’t award any road for construction in Ogun Waterside. So, there was none for you to inspect or commission during your tour of the LG. Spread the dividend to us and don’t make us regret following you.”

Speaking on Ota-Abeokuta road, a resident, Fatai Yusuf stated, “I can’t count the number of lives these deplorable roads have taken to early grave; containers falling on top of people like it is falling on chickens.

“God will judge you if you cannot defend my vote for you. I know the pains I passed through making sure APC remains the party in Ogun State. But you never promised us this.”

Upper Sharia Court at Kofar Kudu, Kano, has ordered that Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abduljabbar Kabara, be remanded in prison.

The cleric was dragged before Qadi Ibrahim Sarki-Yola, for blasphemy, incitement and sundry offences, by the Kano state government on Friday evening.

However, the court adjourned to July 28, while the scholar would remain in police custody until Monday, July 19, 2021, when he would be remanded in prison till the adjourned date.

Speaking on the development, Commissioner for Information, Mr. Muhammed Garba, noted that the Kano-based Islamic cleric was famous for controversial religious commentaries and statements, which were regarded as mortifying the companions and the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

He said the decision to take court action followed the receipt of the First Information Report from the police by the Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, has finally written the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, over the death of Prophet T. B Joshua.

Adeboye’s letter dated 15th June, 2021, was only made public this week.

Adeboye has been under intense criticism for keeping mum over the sudden death of T.B Joshua.

Recall that when the revered cleric, some years ago, said he would not preach in Joshua’s church unless the prophet would allow him to first preach salvation message to him (Joshua) to become born again.

But in Adeboye’s letter, which he personally signed, he said that T.B Joshua is currently with the Lord, adding, “We shall meet again.”

The letter was addressed to Evelyn, wife of T.B Joshua, where he said he joins millions of people worldwide to register the church’s condolence with her on the passing of her husband.

The letter reads in full:

“Calvary greetings in Jesus name. We want to join millions of people across the globe to register our condolence with you on the passing of your husband, Pastor T.B. Joshua.

“We take solace in the Lord, believing that we shall meet again at the feet of the Lord Jesus on the resurrection morning.

“We, therefore, pray for you, your children and the entire church that, the Lord will uphold all of you and such untimely death shall cease in our midst in Jesus mighty name,

“Be assured of our continuous prayers. Yours in Him. Pastor E.A. Adeboye, General Overseer.”

Joshua, whose sudden death shocked the world on June 5, 2021, was buried last week at the Synagogue, Church Of All Nations.

Many front-line pastors in the country did not attend the funeral service.

However, founder and General overseer of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, in what seemed like a response to criticism from Nigerians about his silence, said he is not friends to all the ministers of God.

Speaking during a programme on Channels Television, the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), described the raids on residences of citizens by security operatives as “dangerous legacy” of the military era.

Falana was reacting to the raid by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the Ibadan home (pictured) of Sunday Adeyemo, a Yoruba youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho, on the night of July 1.

“There is no law in Nigeria that allows you to arrest anybody in the dead of the night. I mean, you are not planning a coup. We aren’t armed robbers,” Falana said.

He said there is no provision under the law that a citizen can be arrested at night — unless the crime is committed in the night.

WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?

Speaking on the raid, Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesperson, did not state whether the secret service got a search warrant from the court to carry out the operation but he said the DSS “procedurally searched the house”.

The raid on Igboho’s residence by the DSS has been a matter of legal debate as many legal experts have weighed in on the legality of the DSS’ method of arrests.

TheCable searched through legal provisions that serve as a framework for the operations of law enforcement agencies in the country, including the DSS.

Section 148 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 indicates that the arrest of suspects can be carried out “any time” by law enforcement agencies with a search warrant.

Section 148 of the ACJA 2015 states: [“A search warrant may be issued and executed at any time on any day including a Sunday or public holiday.”

The use of “any time” in section 148 of the ACJA 2015 implies that a person’s residence can be searched or the individual arrested any time of the day, including at night if a warrant is issued by the court to that effect.

This means that the DSS can affect an arrest, if a warrant is issued by the court to that effect at any time of the day, including at night or on Sunday and public holidays.

Section 149 (2) of the ACJA 2015 also provides that the law enforcement officer (s) enforcing the warrant can resort to “force reasonably necessary for the purpose” when access is being denied.

The section states: “Where access into the building, thing or place cannot be obtained, the police officer or other person executing the search warrant may proceed in the manner prescribed by section 9, 10, 12 and 13 of this Act.”

A glance at sections 9(1) and 12(2) of the ACJA 2015 shows that the officer(s) enforcing the warrant can resort to force when access is denied.

Section 9(1) of the ACJA 2015 states: “Where a suspect is arrested by a police officer or a private person, the officer making the arrest or to whom the private person hands over the suspect:

“(a) May search the suspect, using such force as may be reasonably necessary for the purpose.”

Section 12(2) of the ACJA 2015 states: “Where access to a house or place cannot be obtained under subsection (1) of this
section, the person or police officer may enter the house or place and search it for the suspect to be arrested, and in order to effect an entrance into the house or place, may break open any outer or inner door or window of any house or place, whether that of the suspect to be arrested or of any other person or otherwise effect entry into such house or place, if after notification of his authority and purpose, and demand of admittance duly made, he cannot obtain admittance.”

VERDICT

The claim made by Falana that no Nigerian law allows the arrest of citizens at night is inconsistent with section 148 of the ACJA 2015. The use of “any time” for the enforcement of a warrant implies that arrest can be executed any time of the day, including at night.

The arrest of Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu has dealt a serious blow to his group, and could even spell the end of his movement.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), a group that wants a breakaway state in south-east Nigeria, remains a cult hero to his hundreds of thousands of followers.

For more than a decade, his fiery radio broadcasts and social media posts were thorns in the side of the Nigerian government but his transition to an armed struggle in 2020 was seen as a step too far.

The armed wing of Ipob - the Eastern Security Network - has been accused of killing at least 60 people in recent months, most of them police officers, although the group denies the allegations.

Mr Kanu's arrest on Sunday is seen as the final act by a government determined to quell the uprising.

The images of his arrest, more than anything else, would have seriously undermined the confidence of even his staunchest supporters.

It was not the first time the 53-year-old Jewish convert has been paraded in handcuffs, but unlike previous occasions his customary defiance was missing. His days-old grey beard gave him a dishevelled look that not even his Fendi designer clothes could mask.

Mr Kanu was said to have turned the organisation into a one-man show, alienating some of his most trusted followers, and so there is now a leadership vacuum.

"Money disputes and accusations that he didn't consult key stakeholders over the formation of an armed wing did not go down well with many," said the BBC Igbo's Chiagozie Nwonwu, who interviewed Mr Kanu in 2019 while in exile.

One of those who fell out with Mr Kanu and left the organisation last year was his former deputy, Uche Mefor, a respected member of the group who took over when the leader was previously incarcerated.

Allegations of misappropriation of donated funds have also led to the exit of loyal supporters in the US and UK.

Locally, the spine of the movement is also gone, as battle-hardened members have either been killed or arrested by Nigeria's security forces.

DEEP-ROOTED SENTIMENTS REMAIN

Mr Kanu was seen by many as a dangerous propagandist, but he was also considered a lightning-rod for the discontent many Igbos still feel about Nigeria, decades after a three-year civil war between 1967 and 1970.

Many Igbos feel sidelined in Nigerian politics and there are cries of marginalisation.

Nigeria's third-largest ethnic group, they are yet to produce a president since the 1960s and accuse the federal government of neglecting their region.

These feelings have heightened since President Muhammadu Buhari came into power in 2015, and his rhetoric has not helped.

He recently referenced the civil war while vowing to crush Ipob, prompting Twitter to delete his tweet, and in the past said those who gave him 5% of votes [such as the south-east] should not expect to be treated same as those that gave him 95%.

Such comments helped propel Mr Kanu, a largely obscure figure despite his radio broadcasts, to fame.

Any other president might have ignored him but not Mr Buhari, a stoic former military general famous for suffering no indiscipline even from civilians when he ruled in the 1980s.

Mr Kanu was arrested in 2015 when he returned to Nigeria but this only boosted his profile.

The man who had been dismissed as a rabble-rouser by many Nigerians, even within his ethnic group, became the most talked about Igbo person.

Those who know him say it was the sort of attention he had been craving and once released on bail in 2017 he never looked back.

MYSTERIOUS ESCAPE

He formed the Biafran Security Services (BSS), a mock militia that dressed in black and held parades in the eastern city of Abia, his home state.

His diatribes increased, accusing the president of harbouring plans to Islamise Nigeria and saying that President Buhari had been replaced by an impostor - Jubril from Sudan.

Mr Buhari felt he had seen enough and after a court proscribed Ipob as a terrorist organisation, the army went in, carrying out an attack on Mr Kanu's home in September 2017.

He mysteriously escaped.

Many thought that was the end, but he reappeared in Europe in 2018 and the radio broadcasts resumed, this time latching on to Nigeria's farmers-herders crisis to fan ethnic tensions in the country.

Last year, Mr Kanu saw an opening in the #EndSars protests against police brutality but many believe this was actually the start of his downfall.

As thugs hijacked the demonstrations across Nigeria, Mr Kanu ordered his supporters to attack police stations.

For someone that had openly been against an armed struggle in the early days of Ipob, it is hard to know what changed.

Many suspect that the 2017 attack on his house and death of members influenced his decision to arm the group.

In late 2020 he resurrected the BSS and rechristened it the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

While BSS was a mock militia, the ESN was closer to the real deal.

Members, dressed in black attire and red berets, were trained in the south-east's forests, there was a chain of command, and more importantly they had AK-47 rifles which had been stolen from police stations.

Between September 2020 and May 2021, there was a wave of attacks on police stations and other public facilities in the south-east which authorities blamed on Ipob.

In March, the army went in and began taking out ESN camps and commanders, turning the region on its head.

For most people, especially young people sympathetic to the Ipob cause, the army operation was an eye-opener about what war looked like.

Businesses were closed, curfews imposed and people walked with their hands above their heads when they approached army checkpoints.

At this point, sentiments started to turn against Ipob and its leader and with his arrest, he joins other Igbo separatists who have lost against the Nigerian state.

But he is unlikely to be the last until the root causes of the grievances felt by many living in south-eastern Nigeria are addressed.

The Nigerian troops of Operation Hadin Kai have destroyed three gun trucks and eliminated 28 ISWAP-Boko Haram Terrorists along Damaturu-Maiduguri highway in the late hours of Friday

PRNigeria gathered that the terrorists dressed in army uniforms had ambushed and opened fire at a Mobile Police Force convoy who were returning from Buni Yadi between Auno- Garin Kuturu in Kaga Local Government Area.

The terrorist had killed one policeman and seized a police vehicle when a distress call was sent to the Nigerian military for a swift response.

A top intelligence officer said air component and ground troops were promptly mobilised to execute the operation.

The source said: “After receiving a distress call on the incident, a NAF MI-35M helicopter was dispatched to the location and engaged the terrorists.

“In the engagement that ensued, the three gun trucks were successfully destroyed alongside most of its occupants. Other fleeing terrorists were also cornered and eliminated by ground troops of the Nigerian Army.

“The response was well-coordinated between the Air Task Force Command, troops of 212 and 73 Battalion from Sector 1 as well as additional troops from 134 Task Force and 199 Battalion who went on the pursuit of the terrorists and eliminated fleeing terrorists at Malam Fantari village.

“28 mangled bodies of terrorists have been counted after the encounter”.

NAF Spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, when contacted confirmed the attack and attributed recent successes against ISWAP-Boko Haram and bandits in the North West to renewed synergy and jointness exhibited by the air and ground components of Operation Hadin Kai and Operation Hadarin Daji.

He also called on Nigerians to continue to support the military and indeed all security agencies as they join hands to rid the Northeast and indeed all other parts of the country of criminal elements.

The Department of State Services, on Thursday night confirmed that the joint security operatives gunned two allies of Sunday Adeyemo, a self-acclaimed activist popularly called Sunday Igboho.

The secret police also paraded no fewer than 12 suspects arrested during the joint operation.

At an ongoing briefing in Abuja, Spokesman of the service, Peter Afunanya, said Sunday Igboho is presently on the run.

He vowed that the government will definitely track him.

Details later…

One of the occupants of the residence of Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, who escaped the attack on his residence on Thursday, has said a woman in military uniform led the attackers to the house.

He said Igboho was in the building when the gunmen arrived at the house and saw them struggling to open the gate before he managed to escape from the gunmen.

SaharaReporters reports that at least two people were reportedly killed during the attack.

Speaking about the incident, the source who was visibly angry, said Igboho was betrayed by some Yoruba people benefitting from the "massive corruption going on in Nigeria today".

According to him, the woman spoke loudly in Yoruba as she commanded others to take along with them the cats in the compound because she thought Igboho might have turned into a cat.

"I heard the lady speaking Yoruba, saying they should pack all his cats. Meanwhile, those cats were bought the day Chief told us that rats had been disturbing the house.

"They took away the cats as if the man turned to a cat. They don't know that God has a way of keeping those who are fighting for the masses. With this now, they have proved again that some Yoruba people are betrayers.

"Why must Nigeria live together as a nation if our living together is not working. Nigeria is under a curse. It can't work and we must decide on the next thing to do. (President Muhammadu) Buhari cannot send troops to attack SheikhAhmad Gumi and other criminals in the North but he can send them to attack Igboho's residence."

Bad road networks are highly characteristic of the Nigerian state.

Over the years, citizens have been subjected to gruesome experiences plying these roads: many have lost loved ones, valuables among other things to accidents that regularly occur due to the decaying state of the roads.

However, it has now become a lifestyle for Nigerian drivers to learn how to manoeuvre their vehicle steering when driving on these bad roads.

In a report by Nigeria Abroad, the worst roads in seven states across the country were showcased. The roads featured notorious potholes, car-eating craters, and deadly ditches.

BELOW IS A LIST OF STATES WITH THE WORST ROAD NETWORKS IN NIGERIA:

1. ABIA STATE.

Despite its slogan, 'God's Own State', road networks in the state have suffered neglect from various government ruling, who have refused to do the 'work of God' in the state.

The state is often called Nigeria’s own China for its unmatchable enterprise. Aba market in Abia state has gained popularity for its booming industrialisation.

Traders in the Aba market produce lots of Nigerian-made clothes, shoes, textile materials alongside some industrial products that most times match international standards.

The top-notch imitation skills of the makers popular have brought about the name 'Aba-made'.

However, Abia State represents a contradiction. With Abia’s trade impact on Nigeria, one would expect that the government would consider the basic—good roads for ease of transporting manufactured products, but that’s not the case.

Abia state roads have degenerated so badly that when it rains, it is almost impossible to drive. Flooding has been normalised, and sometimes, it is worsened by overflowing street refuse. Citizens have so lost confidence in the state that many no longer complain about poor governance.

Meanwhile, after six years of leading the people of the State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu proudly lists the presence of fast food outlets; Dominos Pizza and the Chicken Republic as some of his achievements in the state.


2. EDO STATE.

Bad road networks in Edo state have become a normal lifestyle for the people. Corporate workers have made rubber slippers part of their office outfits as this makes waddling through rainfall puddles easier.

Benin City has it worse, with potholes so bad that it is hard to tell if they hadn’t always been like that.

It also doesn’t help that one of Edo’s most plied roads, the Benin Bypass, has become a death trap.

The writer described his travel on Edo roads in these words, “The feeling from surviving a fall from maybe 200 flights of stairs is akin to what you get every time you travel by road through Edo State.”

3. IMO STATE.

Formerly known as Land of Hope, and with a governor whose first name is Hope and a surname which, when translated, vaguely means 'the road is good', the road networks in Imo state represents a situational irony.

The state of the roads in Owerri, the state capital is so deplorable that citizens have begun coming up with alternative narrow routes in places that normally wouldn’t be treaded.

4. ANAMBRA STATE.

The Ekwulobia, Oko, Isuofia and Igboukwu roads in Anambra State have been eaten up by deep erosion, with marks that look like aftermaths of earthquakes, this is even as the state benefits from Nigeria’s Ecological Fund.

Anambra is among the biggest commercial centres in Nigeria. It houses one of West Africa’s biggest markets—the Onitsha Main Market.

Also, Nigeria’s first self-made vehicle line, Innoson Motors started in Nnewi.

The aforementioned achievements could have been good enough reasons to make journeying to and fro the state a smooth venture.

Governor Willie Obiano always claims he is working but this is not evident in the uneven roads across the state.

5. LAGOS STATE.

Lagos state is popularly known as 'centre of excellence' and home to an estimated 20 million people. In spite of this, Lagos State probably has Nigeria’s worst road network. This could be attributed to the constant traffic jam and events at the Apapa ports.

Lagos residents have normalised sitting in traffic for hours or trekking long distances to meet up with important appointments. A drop of rain is all it takes to shut down the state and keep everyone outside for hours.

Media portrayals of Lagos suggest excellent infrastructure, but the story recycled at each transition is on how each governor has “transformed” Lagos amid explosive revenue and rising debt, yet the state remains impassable.

6. RIVERS STATE.

In the state capital, Port Harcourt, residents have found a way to adapt to the off-road situation with the use of trucks and Sports Utility Vehicles.

Small cars are mostly used by private drivers and cab-hailing service drivers who know how to maintain their vehicles in the city.

The roads are so bad that some potholes appear like they were dug while residents slept. And smaller towns have it worse.

7. BENUE STATE.

Most of the federal roads in Benue State have deteriorated beyond what can be managed by citizens due to years of lack of maintenance.

The roads have been left in pitiful conditions for a long time. Roads in the state capital, Makurdi, Otukpo and the rest are beyond broken, washed away to the point that it becomes hard to tell if they were ever tarred.

With the rate of insecurity in the state, it was stated that Governor Samuel Ortom's robust engagement in tackling insecurity in his state may have shielded him from criticism over poor road infrastructure.

There are Indications that IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was arrested in a South American country after he was tricked by a Nigerian Lady working undercover with Nigerian security agencies

A source who did not give details of what Nnamdi Kanu was doing with the lady in the South American country, confirmed that Nnamdi Kanu left his London abode where as a British citizen, he has rights and flew to the South American country, thereby falling prey to security operatives.

The source said that on arriving at the popular South American country, the undercover agent ushered him to a hotel which unknown to Kanu was already secured by intelligence operatives.

The IPOB leader was subsequently tranquilized with a suspected high dose of drugs that knocked him off before he was moved into a vehicle and driven to the airport.

Thereafter, the source said Kanu was flown to Nigeria in a private jet which was already on standby for the journey to Nigeria and that he slept all through the journey.

A source said the successful arrest of Nnamdi Kanu by the coordinated efforts of Nigerian Security Agencies led by the National Intelligence Agency and INTERPOL and his subsequent Movement to Nigeria, was the reason President Muhammadu Buhari’s scheduled trip to London for medical check up was postponed.

The planning and execution of the arrest and his movement to Nigeria was said to be ‘an Ultra-Secret Intelligence Mission’ which many diplomatic and other officials, even in government were not privy to.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was apprehended by the International Criminal Police while seeking foreign support for the actualisation of the Republic of Biafra.

The PUNCH gathered that Kanu, who holds Nigerian and British passports, was arrested by security operatives outside his London base on Sunday.

He had been declared wanted by the Federal Government since 2017 after he jumped bail following the invasion of his country home in Abia State by soldiers.

A source disclosed that Kanu was arrested while leaving Israel for an unknown country but this could not be independently verified on Tuesday.

The source stated, “The request for the arrest of Kanu was made to the INTERPOL headquarters in Lyon, France, about two months ago. Kanu could not be arrested at his London base because he is a British citizen and repatriating him to Nigeria may be challenging and the process cumbersome.

“So, the security agencies waited patiently for him to leave the British soil before moving against him; he was arrested while on transit. There was evidence of his meetings with foreign governments to solicit support for Biafra.”

The source also referenced the suspension of Twitter by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who justified his action by stating that Kanu used his Twitter account with 300,000 followers “ to instruct his loyalists to kill Nigerian soldiers and police officers”.

Another source corroborated that Kanu was nabbed while on transit but said he could not confirm the exact location.

“The Nigerian government used conventional diplomatic means to facilitate the arrest of Kanu through the INTERPOL. There are also suggestions that our intelligence agencies played a role in the arrest and extradition process. It was confirmed that Kanu was picked up while on transit but the location cannot be immediately confirmed,” the source volunteered.

As part of strategies to arrest the separatist group leader, the President was said to have met with the French President, Emmanuel Macron, in May during a summit on the financing of African post-COVID economies convened by the French government, where he sought Macron and INTERPOL’s support for the arrest of Kanu.

The Federal Government has arrested the leader of the proscribed Indegeniuos People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, who made the disclosure to journalists on Tuesday, revealed that Kanu was arrested and brought back to Nigeria on Sunday.

He said the arrest followed a collaborative effort between security agencies in Nigeria and the Interpol.

Malami further disclosed that Kanu would be taken before the Federal High Court in Abuja for continuation of his trial on charges bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, unlawful possession of firearms and management of an unlawful society.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned five Sokoto State Primary Education Staff Pension Board officials before Justice Muhammad Muhammad of the State High Court.

They are facing a 27-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, forgery, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of N553,985,624.

The defendants include the Director of Finance and Supply, Hassana Moyi; Secretary, Abubakar Aliyu; Deputy Director, Halliru Ahmed; Accountant, Kabiru Ahmed and Dahiru Muhammad Isa, Cashier.

In 2019, the EFCC received petitions from several primary school pensioners, complaining they had yet to receive their gratuities since retirement.

EFCC said the officials committed Criminal Breach of Trust contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Law CAP 89, Laws of Northern Nigeria and punishable under Section 312 of the same law.

The defendants pleaded ‘not guilty’ when the charges were read.

S. H. Sa’ad, the prosecution counsel, prayed the court to fix a trial date and grant accelerated hearing of the matter.

A. Y. Abubakar, the defence counsel, made an oral application for bail.

Justice Muhammad granted the accused persons N55,000,000 bail each and one surety in like sum.

The citizen must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and possess a landed property.

The judge adjourned the case until July 26, 2021 for hearing.

A young Nigerian footballer, Kelvin Igweani has been reportedly shot dead by the police in the United Kingdom.

According to reports, the officers attended a call-out to a house where a child was seriously injured and Igweanyi was shot dead in the process.

The Thames Valley Force is currently investigating the incident, Daily Mail reports.

The police said in a statement that officers were called to a property in Two Mile Ash, northwest Milton Keynes, at around 9.40 am on Saturday, and made a forced entry after acting on information from a witness.

Inside the house, they found a man in his 30s who was later confirmed dead, and a young child with serious injuries.

They also located a man who is believed to be a Nigerian footballer, Kelvin Ifeanyi Odinaka Nathaniel Igweani, 23. The force added that it was understood officers deployed a Taser before shots were fired at him.

He subsequently required first aid and treatment from the ambulance crew but was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The young child was taken to a hospital.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said a probe is now underway after a police firearm was discharged at the address in Denmead.

Assistant chief constable, Christian Bunt said, “What has happened this morning can only be described as absolutely tragic and will no doubt have an impact on the community. Our thoughts are with those who have been impacted by this incident. Our major crime unit is working closely with the IOPC to understand exactly what has happened.”

Nine communities that make up Bahumono nation in Cross River State, last week, were nostalgic about the death of 200,000 youths over land disputes.

The communities, located in the Abi Local Government Area of the state, including Ediba, Usumutong, Ebijakara, only embraced peace last year after 14 years of communal crises and bloodshed.

The decision to embrace peace was made by youths, men and women of Bahumono who regretted that between 2006 and 2020, the conflicts had denied them developmental benefits from the state and the Federal Government.

Speaking at an assembly to kick-start a week-long programme to commemorate 365 days of uninterrupted peace and harmony in Bahumono nation, tagged ‘Otumosa 2021,’ the paramount ruler of Abi Local Government Area, His Royal Majesty (HRM) Eval Solomon Osim Edward, expressed joy to witness a year without bloodshed.

Edward, who is also the clan head, the Ovia-Usa of Usumutong community, said: “I am so happy because I thought Bahumono cannot come together again. It has even gone beyond the point of repairs, but God, in his own way, came in.

“The way God made peace to return is a pleasant surprise to everyone. There is no community that is shying away from the peace process because there is nothing you can compare to peace. The number of youths we have lost in all these communities is more than 200,000. So, every community is deeply involved in this process.”

He noted that the state government had inaugurated a committee to look into the conflict in the land and expressed hope that it should be in the interest of everyone.

Also, the chairman of the Bahumono Peace Project (BPPC), Dr. Ernest Eteng and the president of Ador Bahumonu, Mr. Clement Omina, regretted that the level of bitterness, hatred and hostilities, which could not be adequately described, negatively affected their neighbouring communities in Yakurr and Biase Local Government areas of Cross River and Afikpo, in Ebonyi State.

He said several attempts had been made by relevant authorities to end the crisis but a year ago, the people decided to restart the peace process from the grassroots.

Speaking on behalf of youths, leader of the Youth Movement of Bahumono, Police Inspector Sunday Eremi, said youths had resolved never to go back to the dark days of bloodshed.

He said: “On the 20th of June 2020, Bahumono youths from the nine communities came together to make the following declaration: “From today, youths of Bahumono will not kill again. We will not fight ourselves again.”

Speaking on behalf of women, the wife of the paramount ruler, Elder Edna Osim Edward, said: “I thank God especially because today marks the first anniversary of this peace treaty and I pray that peace continue to exist, just as I said while praying that with man, it wouldn’t have been possible, but God, we have been able to sustain this peace.”

Unknown gunmen on Sunday evening abducted daughter of Alhaji Bayo Fulani at his residence located around Ga- Fulani, Ora-Igbomina area of Ifedayo in Osun state.

The gunmen in their numbers, it was gathered attacked the victim’s father attempting to kill him, but bullets were not penetrating his body.

Findings revealed that the assailants armed with guns having discovered that the father escaped their assault resorted to deal with the girl before they eventually took her away.

Efforts to get Police spokesperson to react proved abortive as she did not pick her calls or reply the text sent to her phone.


Details later…

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has said he is ready to give land to Fulani herders who are ready to ranch their cattle.

The Governor spoke in Abuja at the weekend during the 72nd birthday of Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico.

Ortom, who was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Dennis Ityavyar, dismissed insinuation that the Tiv nation hates the Fulani, stressing that the age-long relationship between the two tribes still exists.

“Those who have a lot of cattle are still using ranching, and any Fulani person who wants to establish a ranching in Benue will have the land. Even if our ‘Chairman’ wants to start a ranch, he will get the land today.

”We will give you land and start the ranching today, so that people will see it as a model and wherever we go, we want to correct the impression because if you read history, you will see that we have always been friends with Fulani,” he said.

Recall that the state had in recent times suffered several attacks from suspected armed Fulani herdsmen over clashes with farmers.

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has finally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), according to Presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad.

Daily Trust had reported how the governor has been making moves to join the ruling party.

Two weeks ago, a top ally of the governor had told Daily Trust that barring any last minute change, Matawalle would join APC before the end of June.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Ahmad wrote: “So Zamfara is back home, Welcome Matawalle.”

Matawalle has been silent on his defection moves although his body language shows he is on his way out of the opposition party.

A party source told Daily Trust that plans are in top gear to formally welcome Matawalle to the APC on Tuesday.

“On Tuesday, a reception would be held in Gusau to formally welcome Governor Matawalle to the APC,” the source said.

The Zamfara governor has avoided PDP gatherings of late.

Two weeks ago, when PDP governors in company of Uche Secondus, the party’s national chairman, stormed Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital, for a meeting, the Zamfara governor was conspicuously absent.

He sent his deputy to represent him.

When PDP governors also welcomed former Governor Donald Duke of Cross River State to the party from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Matawalle also sent his deputy to represent him.

Matawalle became governor after the Supreme Court ruled on the internal squabble that rocked the APC in 2019.

The court had annulled the votes of the APC in the 2019 elections on the grounds that the party was not eligible to field candidates over its inability to conduct primaries.

A 45-year-old man simply identified as Mr Christopher, on Saturday night beat his wife to death over argument on N2,000.

The incident happened at 1, Agbontaen Street, beside Ebvareke Secondary School, off Agboniro street, Uselu, Benin City.

The man was said to have pounced on his wife, Mrs Isoken Christopher, following her failure to give him the N2,000 loan he requested from her.

The eldest child of the deceased woman, who is a mother of three, Augustine Christopher, noted that his mother was hale and hearthy before the sad incident.

The 13-year-old boy explained that his father who is a menial worker with a waste manager in Benin City, always assault his late mother at the slightest provocation.

According to him, the incident that led to his mother’s death started with a phone call from his father to his mother and requested for N2,000.

“Following the call, my father came home at about 9pm and started beating her and accused her of always embarrassing him each time he requested for money.

“After the beating, I tried to give my mother paracetamol and water she asked for when my father took the water and drug from me and threw them away.

“It was after then she went out to pour water on her body and later lie down outside.

“My father locked us (children) inside the room and went out to pounce on my mother where she was lying down outisde, already weak from the beating.

“That was when neighbours came and rushed her to two different hospitals where she was both pronounced death on arrival,” he narrated.

The young boy said that his father smokes and was always drunk.

Similarly, a neighbour to the deceased, Mrs Florence Obahiagbon, said it was the noise from the beating that brought them outside.

“On getting outside, we met the man beating his wife and usually we tried to revive her by pouring water on her because she was weak by then.

“We rushed her to two hospitals within the neighbourhood where they both said she was dead on arrival.

“We invited vigilante that responded swiftly and they caught the deceased’s husband who was then trying to escape after committing the crime,” Obahiagbon said.

She further said that the deceased was hale and hearthy as they had both attended the same party earlier in the day where she (deceased) participated in serving guests at the same party.

She described the deceased as a hard working woman who operated a fashion shop in a caravan in front of their rented apartment where they occupies a room and parlour.

Obahiagbon said that the corpse of te deceased was taken away by the Police from the New Benin Station.

When contacted, the Edo State Police spokesman, SP Bello Kontongs, confirmed the tragic incident but added that he was yet to be fully briefed on the matter.

A leading politician in Kano and the state coordinator of Tinubu Peoples Network (TPN), Muhammad Tajo Nagoda has declared that there is no better candidate for the 2023 presidential election than the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Ahmad Tinubu.

He stated this over the weekend while speaking exclusively to Vanguard and calling on governor Abdullahi Ganduje to accept to run as his Vice President.

Tajo described Tinubu as what Nigerians need at the moment, considering the current problems bedevilling the country especially the sectional and tribal sentiments aggravating into calls for division.

He stated that Tinubu has good political antecedents judging by the way he enhanced and set Lagos state on the path of perpetual development as a mega city in Nigeria when he served as its governor.

He further described him as a true Nigerian who led by example when he appointed people into his cabinet even from other states and was able to promote peace and harmony in Lagos despite it’s metropolitan nature.

“To us at TPN here in Kano, we believe that there is need for a proper choice of leader for Nigeria in 2023, a leader with the ability to articulate and adhere to and advocate for peaceful democracy in a turbulent political atmosphere.

“We need a patriotic Nigerian with vision and commitment to developmental goals, a leader that has set exemplary benchmark in task of building a nation.

“To us here the best leader for Nigeria in 2023 is none but Alhaji Bola Ahmad Tinubu. We here in the north especially have no better candidate than him” the Kano TPN coordinator declared.

Defending his call on governor Ganduje to accept to be the running mate of Tinubu, Tajo dismissed as misconception for Nigerians to be considering issues like tribe and religion, as against good records and capacity to deliver in politics.

Such things are not mentioned by the constitution as requirements before occupying political positions.

“Those instigating religious and tribal sentiments above performance and the ability to deliver as seen in both Tinubu and Ganduje are misconceiving the reality in choosing good leaders.

“What should concern us more should not be issues like religion or tribe but commitment to the course of the people as well as the ability to deliver, and this is what both Tinubu and Ganduje have displayed when they served as governors in the two most populated states on the country” he stated.

A 17-year-old boy, Elom Daniel from the Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has narrated how he became a spy for the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militia arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and coordinated attacks on police stations.

The suspect, who was accused of arson and murder, was paraded alongside over 50 others on Tuesday at the Command’s Headquarters, Abakaliki.

Daniel, however, said he had never handled any rifle, but only gave information on places for attacks and how best to carry out such attacks.

Elom said his gang members decided to attack police formations when they noticed the force was maltreating South-East youths for no just cause but leaving herdsmen, who were killing residents of the region.

He noted that he gave information that led to the killing of police personnel and attacks on facilities belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other national assets in Ebonyi State.

“I always give information. I did it at Ishieke police checkpoint, the one at Amasiri Junction, the one at Onueke, and the one of CPS, in Abakaliki. I monitor places marked for attack before the attack.

“I normally visit people in the police stations to gather information there. After that, I will draw the map for attack on the police station and give it to the Eastern Security Network.

“It was my cousin that asked me to join Eastern Security Network, that when the freedom comes, my 50th generation will be enjoying it.

“It was my local government commander, Francis Nkwede, that made me ESN spy commander. He is from Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, while I am from Ohaukwu LGA. I am 17 years old.”

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has said Fulanis are not enemies to Iwo people, stressing that they help secure the community.

Akanbi said this while stating that his people enjoy a peaceful coexistence with their Fulani counterparts.

The monarch, in a statement he signed, disclosed how Fulanis in his domain repelled an invasion of bandits on his community.


The statement titled: ‘How Fulani Repel, Send Suspected Bandits Out of Iwoland’ reads: “Bororo men with their cattle encroached Iwo. The Seriki Fulani with his men stormed the forest to chase the Bororo whose attitude is to eat crops at night and attack farmers.

“It could be recalled that I invited the Fulanis to my palace, gave them orientation and charged them to identify the bad eggs among them.

“Since that time the leadership of the Fulanis, Seriki, has been keeping up to the responsibility of ensuring culprits are identified, arrested and prosecuted.

“In Iwoland, Fulanis are our security, not our enemies. The three local governments of Iwoland comprising Iwo, Ayedire and Ola Oluwa, enjoy a peaceful coexistence with Fulanis.”

Several bandits were eliminated Thursday night during a battle with policemen, soldiers and ‘Yan Sakai’ vigilantes at villages along the border linking Niger and Kebbi States.

‘Yan Sakai’ is an ethnic militia the Zuru Emirate of Kebbi established to curb the activities of bandits, abductors and cattle rustlers.

Nigerian troops are fighting jihadist insurgency in the northeastern part of Nigeria. Nigerian Army

Some bandit leaders were also arrested in the operation conducted at the enclaves of Uddu, Rijau, Sabon Gari Ushe, and Warari communities.

The raid followed the abduction of teachers and students of Federal Government College (FGC), Yauri in Kebbi.

An Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had detected the bandits’ hideouts.

“The bandits failed in their attempt to ward off the troop’s attack. Many of them were annihilated, while others fled with injuries”, a military source told PRNigeria.

A federal high court in Abuja has affirmed the power of the president to extend the tenure of a retiring inspector-general of police (IGP) pending when the process of appointing a successor is completed.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on February 4 extended the tenure of Mohammed Adamu as inspector-general of police by three months after he clocked the mandatory 35 years in service on February 1.

Maxwell Opara, a legal practitioner, subsequently took the president and IGP to court, contending that by virtue of section 215 of the Nigerian constitution and section 7 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, Adamu cannot continue to function as the IGP, having retired as a serving member of the force.

In his defence, the IGP told the federal high court that the new Nigeria Police Act gave him a four-year tenure, which would only lapse in either 2023 or 2024.

Supporting Adamu’s position, President Buhari and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation — who are the second and third defendants in the matter — told the court through their lawyer that the law permits the IGP to remain in office until either 2023 or 2024.

In his judgment on Friday, Ahmed Mohammed, the presiding judge, held that since the constitution and the police act empower the president to appoint an IGP, by implication, he could extend the tenure of a retiring IGP before concluding the required consultation with the police council and other processes required for the appointment of a substantive replacement.

The judge also observed that the constitution and the police act are silent on the issue of whether or not the president could extend the tenure of a retired IGP.

Alkali Usman Baba has since been appointed as the acting IGP.