IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

... Parades 53 other suspects

By Jennifer John

Imo State Police Command has paraded a 29-yr-old Emeka Egbuaba for the murder and Organ Trafficking of one Sixtus Ezebudo.

The suspect was one of the 53 suspects paraded by Imo State Police Commissioner, Muhammed Ahmed Barde, Wednesday for various criminal activities ranging from Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, Murder, Child stealing/Trafficking, Vandalism of electric installation, Enforcement of Sit-at-home, among others.

According to the Police Commissioner who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), ASP Henry Okoye,  "A case involving the very brutal murder and harvesting of the vital body organs of one SIXTUS EZEBUDO ‘m’ who hails from Ihete-Owerre in Orlu L.G.A. of Imo State, by a 29yrs old male, EMEKA EGBUABA who has since confessed that he is an Organ Trafficker. 

"Intelligence-led investigation and sustained follow-up to a case that was initially reported as a missing person led to the arrest of the 29-year-old male, Sixtus Ezebudo by Operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit in his criminal hideout in Lagos State. 

"On interrogation, the suspect confessed that On 10/05/2023 at about 1630hrs, he lured the said victim to an uncompleted building in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, killed him, and thereafter harvested his vital body organs like his lungs, heart, and private part, abandoned his corpse at the scene and escaped to Lagos State with the harvested body parts to sell for ritual purpose.

"The remains of the already decomposed body have since been recovered. We intend to carry out further DNA confirmatory tests on it. This is not a crime of passion but a clear deliberate and premeditated murder. The case will be charged to court upon completion of a diligent investigation". 

Meanwhile the Commissioner of Police called on various stakeholders of Imo State to talk to their subjects, as Imo Police Command will not hesitate to deal ruthlessly with any subversive criminal syndicate or individual caught enforcing the unlawful sit-at-home order or perpetrating any other form of criminality.

"Members of the public are encouraged to disregard the unlawfully imposed sit-at-home order by criminal syndicate whose stock in trade is to create panic and go about their lawful business without any form of fear or intimidation, while remaining vigilant and swiftly report any criminally minded elements seen enforcing the unlawful sit-at-home order or carrying out other nefarious activities to the nearest police station or via our emergency numbers 08098880197, 0803477360".

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has also announced some standing committees, namely Appropriations, Public Accounts, Ethics, and Public Petitions and Establishment.

Akpabio, who spoke at Tuesday’s plenary session, revealed that Senator Solomon Adeola would chair the Appropriations Committee, while Senator Ahmed Wadada is to chair the Public Accounts Committee.

See the announced Special Senate Committees and their Chairpersons below:

• Rules and Business — Titus Zam (chairman), Opeyemi Bamidele (deputy)

• Senate Services — Sunday Karimi (chairman), Williams Eteng Jonah (deputy)

• Ethics and Public Petitions — Okechukwu Ezea (chairman), Khalid Ibrahim Mustapha (deputy)

• Public Accounts — Aliu Wadada Ahmed (chairman), Onyeka Peter (deputy)

• National Security and Intelligence — Shehu Buba Umar (chairman), Asuquo Ekpenyong (deputy)

• Legislative Compliance — Garba Musa Maidoki (chairman), Ede Dafinone (deputy)

• Media — Adeyemi Adaramodu (chairman), Salisu Shuaibu Afolabi (deputy)

• Appropriations — Olamilekan Adeola (chairman), Ali Ndume (deputy)

Service Chiefs’ Confirmation

The Senate President also read a letter from President Bola Tinubu addressed to the Senate seeking the confirmation of recently appointed service chiefs. He said the service chiefs would be screened by the entire senate in the senate chamber on a yet-to-be-announced date.

Last week, the President similarly asked the House of Representatives to confirm the newly appointed service chiefs. The Speaker, Abass Tajudeen, read the President’s letter at opened Thursday plenary session. 

On June 19, Tinubu replaced all the service chiefs with immediate effect. The ousted security chiefs included retired Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (National Security Adviser), Lucky Irabor (Chief of Defence Staff), Faruk Yahaya (Chief of Army Staff), Awwal Gambo (Chief of Naval Staff), and Isiaka Amao (Chief of Air Staff).

The new appointees include Nuhu Ribadu (National Security Adviser), Maj. Gen. Christopher Musa (Chief of Defence Staff), Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla (Chief of Naval Staff), and AVM Hassan Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff).

The new office holders have since resumed in an acting capacity awaiting confirmation by the National Assembly.

France striker Kylian Mbappe has called his club side Paris St-Germain "divisive" as doubts over his future intensify. Mbappe, 24, whose contract at PSG expires in 2024, made the comments to France Football magazine.

PSG's all-time leading scorer has told the club he will not sign a new deal. "I think that playing for PSG doesn't help much because it's a divisive team, a divisive club," Mbappe is reported as saying.

"We did what we could [in the Champions League], period. You have to talk to the people who make the team, who organise the squad, who build this club."

Paris St-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said he will not allow Mbappe to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in a landmark judgment, has ordered the disclosure of the spending details of about USD$5 billion Abacha loot by the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.”

The court ordered the government of President Bola Tinubu to “disclose the exact amount of money stolen by General Sani Abacha from Nigeria, and the total amount of Abacha loot recovered and all agreements signed on same by the governments of former presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari.” The judgment was delivered last week by Justice James Kolawole Omotosho following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/407/2020, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

In his judgment, Justice Omotosho held that, “In the final analysis, the application by SERAP is meritorious and the Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance is hereby ordered to furnish SERAP with the full spending details of about $5bn Abacha loot within 7 days of this judgment.”

Justice Omotosho ordered the government to “disclose details of the projects executed with the Abacha loot, locations of any such projects and the names of companies and contractors that carried or carrying out the projects since the return of democracy in 1999 till date.” Justice Omotosho also ordered the government to “disclose details of specific roles played by the World Bank and other partners in the execution of any projects funded with Abacha loot under the governments of former presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari.”

Justice Omotosho also stated that, “The excuse by the Minister of Finance is that the Ministry has searched its records and the details of the exact public funds stolen by Abacha and how the funds have been spent are not held by the Ministry. The excuse has no leg to stand in view of section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act.”

Former Manchester United and Ajax goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar's condition is "stable but still concerning" following a bleed on his brain, his family says. The 52-year-old was taken to an intensive care unit on Friday.

He "will remain in intensive care for the time being" said Ajax in a statement on behalf of his wife. He is reportedly being treated in a hospital in Croatia, where he was on holiday. The former Netherlands international, who won 130 caps for his country, resigned from his role as Ajax chief executive in May after the side finished third in the Dutch league and failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2009.

He retired from playing after leaving United in 2011 before joining the Ajax board in 2012, and later becoming the club's chief executive in 2016. Van der Sar made 266 appearances for the Red Devils and helped them to win four Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League. He also played in the Premier League for Fulham and in Serie A for Juventus.

His former clubs and team-mates are among those sending their support to Van der Sar. "The Van der Sar family, along with Ajax, is grateful and deeply touched by the many messages of support," Ajax said.

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has forwarded a letter of extension on medical leave to the State House of Assembly. This notice came after his doctors advised him on the need to take adequate rest after recuperating.

Receiving the letter on behalf of other lawmakers, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, said Akeredolu’s action was in line with Section 190 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

According to the letter, Akeredolu’s deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa would continue to act as governor until there is a written declaration to the contrary.

Akeredolu had in a letter dated June 5, 2023, earlier informed the House of his decision to proceed on medical leave and was expected to resume on July 6, 2023.