A suspected six-man gang of one chance robbers and internet fraudsters has been smashed by Anambra State Police Command. The suspects were allegedly arrested at UNIZIK temporary site, Awka by Police operatives attached to ‘B’ Division, following intelligence reports Monday evening. Five of the suspects were said to be members of a notorious syndicate who specializes in stealing phones from unsuspecting passengers in commercial vehicles and using the handsets to hack into bank accounts of the victims to siphon their money. The suspects include Uche Louis aged 21years from Mbieri, Imo State, Junior Abamu aged 25years from Uromi, Edo State,…
Author: Elochukwu Benjamin
Less than 24 hours after Anambra State Government’s announcement of series of measures to keep its citizens safe from COVID-19, people of the state are already lamenting over how the measures will hamper socio-economic activities in the state. Governor Willie Obiano had in a broadcast yesterday, banned public gatherings, shut down schools and reduced the number of passengers for various categories of commercial vehicle operators among other measures, in a bid to reduce minimally, chances of the virus spreading across the state. A visit today, to some shopping malls in the state capital city of Awka reflected very low turnout…
The failure of Nigeria’s leadership over the years have been attributed to the successive hijack of political power by ‘individuals whose identities defy history, nomenclature, and political science logic’. The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah made the allusion while delivering a lecture titled “Nigeria: What time is it?” at the 10th Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Convocation held at the Igbariam Campus. The Bishop faulted the British colonialists who he noted, sowed the seeds of division in the country’s political arrangements, noting that independence was given clearly as a set-up, burying in its womb, the seeds…
The South-East Amalgamated Markets Traders Association (SEAMATA) has directed market leaders to provide sanitisers, soap and water tap containers in visible locations in markets to check spread of coronavirus. Chief Gozie Akudolu, President-General of SEAMATA, the umbrella body for all traders in the South-East, gave the directive in a statement issued by the association Monday in Enugu titled: ‘Emergency Alert’. Akudolu also itemized seven actions, which market leaders and all traders in the zone, must comply with to keep their customers and themselves safe from the highly contagious coronavirus disease. “Following the pandemic outbreak across the globe of coronavirus, and…
Six Communities in Anambra State are to witness interventions in their chosen core areas of need as the Anambra State Community and Social Development Agency (ANCSDA) recently carried out project launch events in the communities. ANCSDA is implementing and promoting development activities at the grassroots level presently, under the World Bank Assisted Community and Social Development Project- Additional Financing (CSDP-AF) in the state, which aims at poverty reduction in rural communities using Community Driven Development (CDD) approach. The Project Launch events for the six vulnerable groups (VGs), is a prelude to the release of funds for the implementation of their…
Anambra State Government has declared 14-day Work from Home for Civil Servants in Anambra state in response to the growing threat of Coronavirus across the country. The Work-from-Home will take effect from Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Governor Willie Obiano who announced this in a broadcast on Monday at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia, however, said any civil servant may be called upon at any given time to handle an urgent assignment as the case arises. He noted that the directive excludes all staff of Anambra State Ministry of Health, Ministry of Works and officers on essential duty. According to the Governor, “All…
Anambra State Government has denied rumours that seven persons have been infected with corona virus in Onitsha. An online report by one Dr Frank Ndubuisi Obi said to be a medical doctor at Onitsha General Hospital has claimed that the first case was recorded on Monday 16th March at the General hospital. According to the report, more 15 persons have been confirmed positive and one victim had died on the 21st of March due to lack of proper care. But in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, the State government denied that there is no…
As the Coronavirus continues to ravage the world with increasing intensity through mostly person-to-person contact and infected surfaces, Anambra State Government has issued directives to safeguard people of the state. The directives released Thursday and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, focused on safety measures to be adopted across the state. The directive said the state government has suspended gatherings of up to 30 persons meeting at the same time including parties, weddings, title-taking, burial among others from Monday, March 23, 2020. On commerce, the government advised traders and people visiting the markets to wash…
The Anambra State Police Command says it has arrested a 75-year old man for allegedly defiling minors in Okija Community, Ihiala Council Area of the state. A statement issued on behalf of the Command by its Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, said following a formal complaint, Police operatives attached to Okija Division arrested the suspect, Raphael Mbanyereude alias Papa Okoye, aged 75years. The Suspect was said to have allegedly had unlawful carnal knowledge with two minors all female children of the same, aged 2 and four years. The mother of the children was said to have uncovered the wicked act…
The Archbishop, Province on the Niger, Anglican Communion, and Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Awka, Most Reverend Alexander Ibezim says gender-based violence is a global challenge that requires concerted efforts to address. Bishop Ibezim stated this in a message to women to mark the 2020 Mothering Sunday celebration. He decried the wide gap between women and men in the labour force, which showed that women and girls have been segregated and by extension, suffering from extreme poverty. Archbishop Ibezim quipped, “Gender based violence is a global pandemic that affects one in 3 women globally. I urge the society to frown…
A 20-year old girl identified as Oluchi Akabilo has attempted suicide after she discovered that her boyfriend who got her pregnant, is married. Miss Oluchi who lives at Azia street, Mgbuka Obosi in Idemili North Council Area of Anambra State, allegedly drank a liquid substance suspected to be an insecticide in a bid to take her own life. Investigations reveal that the young girl got pregnant in a relationship with one Chinedu, who unknown to her, is married with children. The boyfriend was said to have jilted the girl upon the discovery and as a result, she became devastated. As…
Anambra State Government has described Federal Government’s decision to place a ban on travelers from the 13 countries most affected by the Coronavirus outbreak and for restricting its officials from foreign trips to the countries until further notice, as highly laudable. The ban is coming on the heels of the confirmation by the Nigerian government and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), of the, reported eight cases of COVID-19 in the country. The affected countries include China, Italy, Spain, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, France, Iran, and South Korea and Japan. The Anambra State Government in…
Anambra State Government has directed the immediate decommissioning of all cooking gas plants attached to Petrol stations across the state. This was the outcome of a meeting between the State Government and owners of cooking gas plants including owners of gas skids located in petrol stations, held at the SSG Conference Hall, Government House, Awka. The meeting was also attended by officials of the government involved in Structural Development Control such as the Anambra State Physical Planning Board (ANSPPB) and Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA), law enforcement agencies such as the police and the DSS as well as representatives…
An 85-year old woman identified as Ilione Victoria has allegedly died after jumping from the balcony of an apartment on the 3rd floor in a four-storey building at Awada-Obosi in Idemili North Council Area of Anambra State. The aged woman was said to be living with her daughter at No 18 Ilodibe Street, Awada where the incident occurred. The incident occurred yesterday at about 5:20 pm. The octogenarian victim reported to be having some mental challenges, had her movement restricted and was at home with her 32-year old caregiver, one Judith Amuluche at the time of the incident. Confirming the…
The final document of the awaited 50-year Development plan for Anambra State will be a homegrown and non-partisan document, Chairman of the Anambra Vision 2070 Committee, Professor Chukwuma Soludo says. Professor Soludo disclosed this while addressing members of the committee at their ongoing 2-day plenary retreat holding at Golden Tulip Hotel, Agulu. Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano had inaugurated the 60-member committee on the 21st of November 2019, with the mandate to draft a 50-Year Development Plan for Anambra state and to bequeath the plan as a legacy to people of the state. Ever since, there have been criticisms over…
The ECOWAS Court has suspended its 2020 travel-related activities, mainly official missions, because of the outbreak of Covid-19 which the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a pandemic, according to the President of the Court. Justice Edward Asante said the decision by the management of the Court was ‘precautionary and for the safety of staff,’ and that the affected activities will be rescheduled as soon as the pandemic is over. “We don’t want to subject staff to avoidable risk considering the global threat posed by this pandemic and consistent with the international response,” the President explained, noting that the Court…
A Professor of International Law and Jurisprudence at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Professor Ogugua Ikpeze says the Igbo nation can change its unfavorable position in Nigeria’s socio-political space if they jettison their patriarchal mentality and treat their women with the dignity they deserve. Professor Ikpeze was speaking in Awka at a forum of the Anambra State Chapter of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), coming on the heels of the 2020 International Women’s Day Celebration in the state. International Women’s Day Celebration is a day set aside by the United Nations to celebrate the contributions of women to the advancement…
Private Schools across Anambra State were on Monday shut down in protest over alleged imposition of tax, extortion and invasion of the schools by agents of the state government. A coalition of Private Schools’ Union, Anambra state chapter, made up of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and Owners of Private Schools Association of Nigeria (OPSAN), had announced a 3-day sit at home and warning strike for all private schools, commencing on Monday. A visit to most private schools showed appreciable compliance with the directive on the industrial action which the Union said is their way of registering…
The management of Federal Polytechnic Oko has reacted to the speculations making the rounds that a student of the institution was diagnosed with Coronavirus at its medical centre. Rumors had it that a student who returned from travel was diagnosed with the virus in the early hours of Sunday. But in a reaction, the Polytechnic through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Obini Onuchukwu, described the speculation as false and mischievous. It said no such case was reported or heard in any part of the Polytechnic. “This is the dangerous dimension social media has taken and it should be checked because…
As Anambra State continues to dwindle in core development indices, a human rights and pro-democracy group, Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders Foundation (HURIDE), has urged Governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano to wake up from slumber in providing democracy dividends to the people. The Chairman, Board of Trustees of HURIDE, Dede Uzor A Uzor, in a statement made available to newsmen in Onitsha, the commercial nerve center of the State said the rainy season is about to set in and roads across the State are still in deplorable condition. “The people of the State are in agony…
Wife of Anambra State Governor, Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano has advised young mothers not to throw away their newborn babies because of their temporary financial or social challenge. Mrs. Obiano who is the founder of the NGO, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE), was reacting in Awka to a recent report about a newborn baby thrown away by a young mother at Oko in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State. On Friday, 6th of March, 2020, the newborn baby was found hanging from barbed wire in a hostel at Oko with the baby’s placenta still intact. The mother, one…
Two persons have been killed in an accident involving a Mercedes Benz truck and a motorcycle along Orlu road, Ihiala in Anambra State. The dead include the rider of a Mate CY80 Motorcycle with Registration number KPP 192 QA and the pillion. A police report said the accident happened when the driver of a Mercedes Benz truck with registration number XE 254 AWK, one Ekene Agusi of Amafor Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State, knocked down the two persons along Orlu road, Ihiala in Ihiala Council Area of Anambra State. The Bike rider and the pillion had sustained…
Flavour, Tekno, Umu Obiligbo, Zlatan and Slow Dogg are among top musical acts shortlisted to perform at the first Music Festival Onitsha, billed to go down on the 12th of April, 2020. Also expected to thrill at the one-day event are Peruzzi as well as comedy artistes like Klint D Drunk, Ogbuefi Main Market Ushebe, Funny Bone, Jennifer Eliogu, Slow Dog, Frank D Don, MC Zanzino, 2Cantalk, DJ Neptune, DJ Murphy and DJ Staffy. The music concert is being organized by O’Crest Atlantic Records Group, in collaboration with J.I Ejison International Limited, New Age, Priderock Entertainment among others. It is…
Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala has attributed the rapid outbreak of the coronavirus to the fact that it was not given proper attention when the first stream was discovered in Wuhan District in the People’s Republic of China. Dr Okpala gave the opinion while speaking with our correspondent in Awka on the increasing incidence of the virus. COVID-19 has generated a global scare with more countries recording index cases while more people get infected in countries where they have been diagnosed before. According to Dr Okpala, COVID-19 is under the zoonotic class which entails infectious diseases caused…
A 30-year old bricklayer, Chukwuemeka Nwankwo has revealed why he killed a Facebook friend of his who visited him at Nanka from Owerri, Imo State. Nwankwo who was paraded at the Anambra State Police Command Headquarters in Awka was arrested on Monday alongside his friend, Chidiebere Omenyi aged 20, by operatives of the Command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for luring a Facebook user simply identified as Willswags to Nanka in Orumba North Council Area of Anambra State. The suspects were alleged to have robbed the victim, killed him and dumped his body inside a bush at Nanka. Confessing to the…
The Anambra State House of Assembly has passed a resolution, urging Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano to direct the State Ministry of Basic Education to take the necessary steps towards setting up additional public schools in certain strategic areas within the state. The House passed the resolution following a motion sponsored to that effect by the member representing Oyi Constituency, Charles Obimma during today’s plenary. Section Eighteen of the 1999 Constitution as amended states that the Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels so as to eradicate illiteracy. The…
The National Boundary Commission (NBC) should be blamed for the continued hostilities and senseless killings in the lingering boundary crisis between the Ngbo community in Ohaukwu LGA and the Agila people in Ado LGA of Benue state. This was the opinion of the Human Rights, Liberty Access, and Peace Defenders (HURIDE), Foundation while addressing newsmen in Enugu after its national executive meeting which centered on the spate of insecurity across the country. 14 people have been reportedly killed and property worth millions destroyed in a recent clash between the two boundary communities between Ebonyi and Benue States. The Chairman Board…
Anambra State Government says President Muhammadu’s appointment of Chudi Offodile as an Executive Director of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), is in fulfillment of his promise during the 2019 electioneering campaign to appoint persons from Anambra State and the Southeast geopolitical zone into strategic positions. Offodile was on Wednesday announced the new NIMASA Executive Director in charge of Finance following the reorganization of the agency’s top management. The State Government in a statement in Awka, signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, described Offodile as eminently deserving of the appointment. Offodile,…
The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has advised corps members across the country against borrowing to execute community development projects in their places of primary assignment. Brigadier General Ibrahim gave the advice during the formal swearing-in of 2020 Batch “A” Stream One Corps members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Umuawulu-Mbaukwu, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. One thousand nine hundred and twenty-six corps members were at the ceremony, sworn in for the 3-week mandatory orientation camp. The NYSC DG who noted that community development service was evolved to avail corps members the…
A trailer loaded with goods this morning caught fire, burning over 15 shops with goods worth millions of naira at Building materials main market, Ogidi in Idemili North Council Area of Anambra State. The cause of the fire which happened at about 04:00 am is still unknown. Some persons who spoke to newsmen alleged that the lorry was loaded with calcium carbide and goods inside it, which got heated and exploded. But according to officials of the Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps (NSCDC), preliminary investigation revealed that the fire started at the engine of the trailer, which could be…
