IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

—Threatens To Activate Citizen Arrest If Failed To Be Arrested In 48hrs 

The Orlu Political Consultative Assembly,(OPOCA) has called on security agencies for the immediate arrest of the former illegal governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha within 48hrs, or have them call for citizen arrest.

National President of OPOCA high command Chief Barr. Sokom Rexanunobi alongside executives of the assembly made this disclosure on Monday while addressing a world press conference at Ndubuisi Kanu Square,Owerri.

Ihedioha was accused of  masterminding series of  insecurity in the State especially in Orlu Senatorial zone,following a leaked phone call online last week where he(Ihedioha) was threatening to make the administration of Governor Uzodimma ungovernable. 

According to OPOCA they have well detailed evidence to nail Ihedioha on his involvement in the alleged crime, however stated that if security agencies fail to utilize evidence provided for thorough investigation and immediate arrest, they will not only call for citizen arrest but also place a bounty for anyone who apprehend him in or outside the State. 

OPOCA commended the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Imo State Chapter for organizing a recent Imo day of prayer stating that it was the prayer answered that exposed insecurity sponsors who are now confessing by themselves.

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has said the sins of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Iyorchia Ayu are so grievous that if they are disclosed his children will disown him.

“If people know what we know, if we release what we have, Ayu’s children will go to him and say we are no longer your children,” Wike said.

Speaking during a live media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday, the Governor said Ayu had no locus to stand before Nigerians and campaign for PDP ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The Governor maintained the PDP boss has no integrity and alleged that the chairman also received double pay for a single project.

On the N1billion he accused  Ayu of collecting, Wike said:   “There cannot be any comment. He (Ayu) cannot say anything. Look, I am the governor of Rivers state and I don’t just come out to speak.

"Let Ayu say he did not collect N1 billion. In fact, let me also tell you, Ayu collected N100 million naira from a Governor that he was going to renovate our democratic institution and then he (Ayu) went back to the PDP NWC and took the same N100 million naira for doing the same work.

“What kind of system is that? I am telling you all these are facts. Let him (Ayu) say no first and I will tell you (those he collected money from).

“A leader must be a man of integrity. And I have realised that people find it hard to have that (integrity) lately. You are presenting a man (Ayu) who lacked integrity as chairman of the party. Somebody that wants to lead a campaign to take the reigns of government?

"What is the problem with what we are asking of Ayu? We are saying let there be equity, let there be fairness and justice. But if you don’t want it that way then you are the one causing the crisis (in the party) and that shows you (Ayu) don’t have leadership skills because this is the time to show it. This is the time to show leadership skills on the part of those who are leaders of the party.”

The Appeal Court in Abuja has discharged and acquired Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, of terr@rism charges.

Kanu is being prosecuted by the Federal Government at the Federal High Court in Abuja for 15 count charges bordering treasonable felony and terr@rism, offences he allegedly committed in the course of his separatist campaigns.

He approached the court of appeal to quash the charges. A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal said the Federal High Court lacks the jurisdiction to try him in view of his abduction and extraordinary rendition to Nigeria in flagrant violation of the OAU convention and protocol on extradition.

The court held that the 15-count charge preferred against Kanu did not disclose the place, date, time and nature of the alleged offences before being unlawfully extradited to Nigeria in clear violation of international treaties.The court further held that the Federal Government failed to disclose where Nnamdi Kanu was arrested despite the grave allegations against him.

Some of the charges read, “Mr Kanu has repeatedly called for the breakaway of a significant chunk of southern Nigeria to form the Republic of Biafra. On October 2015, he was arrested by Nigerian authorities on an 11-count charge bordering on “terr@rism, treasonable felony, managing an unlawful society, publication of defamatory matter, illegal possession of firearms and improper importation of goods, among others.” He was granted bail on April 2017 for medical reasons.

However, Mr Kanu fled the country in September 2017 after an invasion of his home by the military in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State. He was then sighted in Israel and later continued to rally his supporters in Nigeria to employ violence in achieving secession. Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami said after Kanu was rearrested and brought back to Nigeria in June 2021. Mr Kanu has denied any wrongdoing.

Today at the plenary, Senator Iyom Uche Ekwunife moved a motion of Urgent Public Importance On The Attack On Senator Dr Ifeanyi Ubah And The Gruesome Murder Of His Aides.

The Senator came under POINT OF ORDER 41 and 51 of the Senate and moved for the leave of the Senate to present a matter of urgent public importance on the attack on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and the gruesome murder of his aides. 

The motion was seconded by Senator Albert Bassey (YPP Akwa Ibom State)..

Many Senators, including Senators Eyinnaya Abatine, Biodun Olujimi, Omo Agege, Obinna Ogba, Emmanuel Bwacha among others spoke on the attack and condemned it. The Senator President, 

The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan in his own contribution said, "I know what my friend and brother, Senator Ubah is passing through having survived an attempt on my life in 2008 in which I lost a police man attached to me . Every hand must be on deck to fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act."

The Senate after the contributions by the members resolved to:

i. Observe a minute silence in honour of the victims that lost their lives in the unfortunate attack;

ii. Direct the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other relevant security agencies to carry out comprehensive investigations into the incident with a view to arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators; and 

iii. Mandate the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services and other relevant security agencies to report findings back to the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence as well as the Senate Committee on Police Affairs within two weeks.

Senator Iyom Uche Ekwunife after the plenary also visited Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and consoled with him.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, reserved its judgement on an appeal the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, filed to quash the terrorism and treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him.

The IPOB leader, who is currently facing trial before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had through his team of lawyers led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, approached the appellate court to query the legal competence of the charge pending against him.

He specifically prayed the appellate court to review the April 8 ruling of the trial court which struck out only eight out of the 15-count charge.

Insisting that the charge FG entered against him had no basis in law, Kanu, in his appeal dated April 29 and marked CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022, applied to be discharged and acquitted.

Kanu equally urged the appellate court to order his release on bail, pending the determination of his appeal.

Though the appeal was initially fixed for October 11, however, following an application the embattled IPOB leader filed for abridgement of time, the appellate court brought the matter forward for hearing.

When the matter was called up on Tuesday, a three-man panel led by Justice Jummai Hanatu, said it had no need to delve into the issue of bail since the substantive appeal was ripe for hearing.

Arguing the appeal, Chief Ozekhome, SAN, alleged that his client was forcefully abducted from Kenya and illegally renditioned back to the country.

He told the court that his client was first arraigned on December 23, 2015 and was later granted bail on April 25, 2017.

“My lords, he was enjoying this bail without breaching the terms. However, he was in his ancestral home when agents of the Respondent invaded his home in September 2017. He barely escaped alive by sheer providence and found himself first in Isreal and later in London.

“When the Appellant travelled from London to Kenya, agents of the Respondents, on June 27, 2021, forcefully abducted the Appellant, tortured and renditioned him back to the country without following any extradition process”, Ozekhome submitted.

He argued that under the Doctrine of Speciality as provided for in section 15 of the Extradition Act, FG, ought to have proceeded to try Kanu on the five-count charge he was initially facing before he escaped from the country.

He argued that Kenya, being the country from where Kanu was arrested and extraordinarily renditioned back to Nigeria, ought to have authorised his extradition.

“This allegation of his forceful abduction and rendition was never denied by the Respondent.

“More so my lords, the charge appears to give the lower court a global jurisdiction over offences that were allegedly committed by the Appellant, without specifying the location or date the said offences were committed

There was no need for the lower court to have retained the remaining seven-count charge.

“We are therefore urging my lords to strike out the remaining counts and hold that the Respondent has not established any prima-facie case against the Appellant for which he could be tried”, Ozekhome added.

Meanwhile, FG, through its lawyer, Mr. David Kaswe, urged the court to dismiss the appeal for want of merit.

He maintained that the IPOB leader was brought back to the country by due process of the law.

He argued that the charge has been amended seven times owing to the conduct of the Appellant.

“My lords, it took four years and huge resources to get the Respondent arrested and brought back to face the charges against him.

“The Prosecution is ever willing and eager to proceed with trial of the Appellant.

We are saying that the trial court was even wrong to have struck out the eight counts as it did.

“It is only after FG has produced all its witnesses and tendered its evidence that the Appellant could claim that no prima-facie case was established.

“Finally, we urge this court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit”, Kaswe added.

After it had listened to both sides, the panel said it would communicate a date for the judgment.

President Muhammadu Buhari says crude oil theft must be addressed. He made this statement during the inauguration of the Presidential Committee on National Economy which he inaugurated in his office on Friday.

Acknowledging the impact of the menace on the nation’s revenue exchange, the President reminded them that production of crude oil owing to economic sabotage has led to a production decline at half the nation’s OPEC quota.

Buhari, therefore, urged members to tackle the distinct challenge while promising that his administration will work assiduously to reverse the trend. Members of the committee include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who is also chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC), Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State who represents the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and other members of the cabinet.

At the maiden meeting, President Buhari defended the nation’s borrowing rate, asserting that it is vital to achieving infrastructural development.

“Any Nigerian who lives abroad, funding the campaign of Peter Obi shall be arrested. It is against our electoral laws...one thing Nigerians who based abroad failed to understand is that they cannot stay there and dictate to us how to govern our country. Someone will seat in United States of America and be telling us what to do and what not to do as if we don’t know what we are doing in this country".

“If you violate the electoral law, you will face the penalty squarely and we will do everything within our power to prosecute both you and the candidate you are funding his campaign..."

“We’ve received a signal that some individuals, mostly Nigerians living abroad have taken it upon themselves to fund the campaign of Mr Peter Obi who’s the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the forthcoming Presidential election..."

“What these individuals failed to understand is that Nigerian is a democratic nation governed by democratic rules and regulations. It is against the electoral act for those living abroad to sponsor any candidate in an election. Those involved should desist from such act or have us to contend with. We will resist it by all means. Such fund cannot enter Nigeria. Although we have put measures on ground to apprehend those who will get themselves involved in such an act.”

An unkempt man has been found at a parked aircraft in Lagos, the nation’s commercial capital. The man, said to be middle-aged and unconscious, was found on Sunday morning during a pre-flight inspection at the Murtala Mohammed Airport 2. 

It was gathered that the suspected stowaway was arrested and taken in for interrogation. In a statement issued by the airline, the aircraft last operated Abuja-Lagos at 7.30 pm on September 3, 2022 and was securely parked at the apron following a post-flight inspection.

“During preflight inspection this morning, a stowaway was found in one of our aircraft parked at MMA2 Ikeja,” the airline’s spokesman, Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, said. “The middle-aged man, who looked unkempt and is suspected to be unconscious, was arrested and taken in for interrogation.

Uchegbu stated that FAAN AVSEC and Bi-Courtney security services are on the ground and an investigation has opened into this security breach at MMA2. The affected aircraft is being screened and prepared for service in accordance with United Nigeria Airlines’ strict security and operating standards.

A State High Court sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Friday, discharged and acquitted a former governor of the state, Jonah Jang, of over the N6.3 billion corruption charges levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court presided over by Justice Christy Dabup also discharged and acquitted a former cashier in the office of the Secretary to the Plateau State Government, Yusuf Pam, who was accused alongside the former governor.

Jang had in March 2021 appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to pardon another ex-Governor of Plateau, Joshua Dariye; a former Taraba State Governor, Jolly Nyame.

The Council of State led by the President subsequently in April 2022 approved the pardon of 159 convicts including Dariye and Nyame.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has debunk the media report by an Online Newspaper, The Peoples Gazette and report by the Amnesty International that it has been abducting innocent citizens, the Service is not involved in any citizen abduction.

DSS spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunanya, reacted to the media and Amnesty International reports in statement made available to Core TV News, he stated that, as part of its enforcement activities, the DSS arrests when, where and if necessary. This is evidently carried out in line with tenets of democratic ideals.

Adding that “At no time has the agency embarked on its actions without following led down procedures in respect of obtaining warrants of arrest or orders for detention from competent legal authorities. The claim of abduction or use of enforced disappearances is an absolute lie and a make-up narrative designed to bring the Service to disrepute.”

Afunanya further said: “the DSS is law abiding and committed to the protection of citizens and sensitive government installations. In doing this, it will continue to discharge its mandate of intelligence collection and timely dissemination of same to relevant action agencies and stakeholders.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 19, 20 and 21st as the trial dates for the embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari and four others.

Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the trial dates in his ruling on Tuesday in the nation’s capital. He equally declined to grant bail to suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari and four others. They are being prosecuted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on allegations bordering on a cocaine deal.

Kyari was arraigned alongside four suspended police officers including ACP Sunday Ubia, ASP James, Inspector Simon Agirigba and Inspector John Nuhu as 2nd to 5th defendants respectively. Ruling on the bail application, Justice Emeka Nwite said the applicants failed to present sufficient materials and evidence to warrant the granting of the fresh application.

Justice Nwite, therefore, reaffirmed his earlier ruling of March 28, 2022, ordering an accelerated hearing.

As the United States government plans to return the over $23 million looted by the late dictator Sani Abacha, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has demanded a copy of the agreement. Last Tuesday, Nigeria and the United States reached an agreement on the return of over $23 million of the Abacha loot.

Five days after, the rights group wrote a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, asking him to “direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to provide our organization with a copy of the agreement the Federal Government recently signed with the United States for the repatriation of $23 million stolen by late General Sani Abacha.”

In the letter dated August 27 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the group said its demand is based on the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, the 1999 Constitution as well as some international obligations Nigeria is meant to follow.

“By the combined reading of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s international obligations, there are transparency obligations imposed on your government to widely publish the agreement on the $23 million Abacha loot,” the letter read in part.

Nigeria Police Force has suspended two supernumerary Police officers, Obaze Blessing and Obaze Emmanuella Uju, over misconduct and violation of social media policy.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed this on Friday via his Twitter handle.

Speaking in the video he shared on his Twitter page, he said that the two female cops portrayed themselves as undisciplined and unprofessional in the viral TikTok they released.

“Above all, they portrayed themselves in the viral video and other videos as undisciplined and unprofessional in contravention of the police social media policy.’’

Governor Uzodinma, while defending Ebubeagu, said members of the security outfit do not carry arms, let alone carry out sophisticated attacks.

“Ebubeagu has no sophistication, like the kind of rifles that the bandits are carrying all along. Ebubeagu are not armed,” Mr Uzodinma said on Tuesday evening, while appearing as a guest on a Channels TV programme, Politics Today.

“Some of these bandits are now operating as Ebubeagu. Of late, we discovered bandits would attack a particular place, and the next thing because they have their syndicates, they would come up with a propaganda that Ebubeagu has attacked.

“But between me and those who are in charge of Ebubeagu, and the security agencies, they know that Ebubeagu doesn’t have the capacity to attack with sophisticated arms,” he said.

The governor said criminality in Imo State has “political undertone”, and that those criticising Ebubeagu are not interested in the “peaceful atmosphere” in the state.

He said what Ebubeagu operatives do is to pick information about unusual movement in communities and report it to security agencies. “It is not a security force that goes to war,” he added

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, operating in the North-East region, have rescued another Chibok girl and three others, abducted by Boko Haram terrorists over eight years ago.

Boko Haram terrorists had in April 2014 kidnapped 276 female students mostly Christians aged from 16 to 18 from the Government Girls Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State.

In a statement on Saturday on its Facebook page, the army said the victims were rescued by troops of 21 Special Armoured Brigade, Sector 1 Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) at Bama Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State. Aisha Grema, the Chibok girl, was received by the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA).

NAOWA President, Mrs Salamatu Yahaya, donated relief materials and financial support to a newly rescued abducted Chibok, a statement by the group said.

“Aisha was rescued yesterday, 12 August 2022 with her four (4) years old child by troops of 21 Special Armoured Brigade, Sector 1 Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) at Bama Local Government Area (LGA) while the three other girls were rescued by troops of 242 Battalion, Sector 3 OPHK at Mongonu LGA of Borno State,” the statement said.

President Muhammadu Buhari has bemoaned the multiple challenges of insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping facing the country which he says have stretched the utilization of security agencies and other resources.

Speaking at the launch of the National Crisis Management Doctrine (NCMD) at the State House on Friday, he explained that due to the challenges, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) revised the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) which he launched in August 2016.

The newly launched management doctrine is aimed at bridging the gap created by the extensive deployment of security services through fostering collaboration amongst Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). President Buhari urged the ONSA to continue to play its coordinating role amongst crisis response stakeholders, to achieve greater success.

The NCMD, which was developed by the Office of the National Security Adviser, along with relevant MDAs, is geared toward ensuring greater success in tackling the national crisis.

The trial of the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, has been stalled following an application for adjournment by his legal team.

At the resumed trial before Justice Adeniyi Ajayi of the FCT High Court on Wednesday, counsel to Idris, Gordy Uche, told the court that he needed more time to interact with his client following the meeting his client had with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the previous day based on the invitation of the anti-graft agency.

The defence team accused the EFCC of contempt, stating that the commission lacks the right to continue investigations since the matter is already in court but counsel for the commission, Rotimi Jacobs refuted Uche’s claims. He said that the suspended accountant general of the federation is the one that approached the commission for settlement.

After listening to all the parties in the matter, Justice Ajayi adjourned to October 4 and 5, 2022 for the continuation of the trial. The suspended accountant general and his co-defendants had pleaded not guilty to 14 counts bothering on stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109.5 billion against them.

The Federal High Court Abuja has fixed September 7, for the hearing of a legal suit seeking the disqualification of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), from contesting the 2023 elections for allegedly presenting the forged certificate.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed fixed the hearing, just as it granted an ex-parte order for substituted service on Tinubu who had invaded personal service of court processes. The Plaintiffs, who are four chieftains of the APC are praying the court for an order disqualifying Tinubu from contesting or participating in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election as a candidate of All Progressives Congress on the grounds of the information he supplied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the presidential candidate of the party.

Counsel to the Plaintiff, Goddy Uche, told the court that substituted service has become necessary because all attempts to serve the presidential candidate have proved abortive as he cannot be reached. In a brief ruling, the Vacation Judge, Justice Mohammed ordered that the Court process to be served on the National Secretariat of APC and that such service shall be deemed as having been properly served on Bola Tinubu.

He further adjourned the case to September 7, for a hearing.

Governor Samuel Ortom has written President Muhammadu Buhari for firearm licensing for the newly established Benue State Community Volunteer Guards inaugurated last week to provide surveillance and intelligence gathering in the wake of persistent herdsmen attacks.

Ortom who disclosed this on Monday while playing host to a delegation from the Northern Christian Women Coalition at the Government House in Makurdi, says the move became necessary following the legitimated process of establishing the Guards to help restore peace in the troubled parts of the state.

He said the President he knows would approve his request to also empower his people against their transducers or at best, leave room for a fair level of response on the defences of his people.

During the launch last week, the guards, the Governor said, are designed to address community security and safety. According to him, the volunteer guards were not established for political purposes ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Justice Bassey Nkanang of the Akwa Ibom State High Court on Thursday sentenced Uduak Akpan to death by hanging for the murder of Iniubong Umoren. Umoren, a graduate of Philosophy, University of Uyo, was killed on April 2021. She was job hunting while awaiting mobilisation for the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

Uduak’s father, Frank Akpan, and his sister, Anwan Bassey (2nd and 3rd accused) were discharged and acquitted. Finding Akpan guilty of rape in the over two-hour judgement, the judge said the prosecution has proved beyond doubt the case of rape and murder against Mr Akpan. After the judge read out the judgment, the convicted rapist attempted to escape from the courtroom but was overpowered by security officials.

When the convict first appeared in court on July 26, 2021, he pleaded guilty to murder, but not guilty to rape. Having admitted to murdering the victim, the court, however, entered a not-guilty plea for the murder of Ms Umoren.

“For a capital offence, an accused person pleading guilty is neither here nor there. As far as the law is concerned, he is not guilty until we (prosecution) prove our case,” the Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State, Uko Udom, who led the prosecution team told reporters then.