A former Commissioner of Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Kenny Okolugbo, has said agitators under the Pan Niger Delta Forum, (PANDEF), are only asking for what is due the region and do not pose any security threat to Nigeria. According to him, Niger Delta militants cannot be described as terrorists. In a video which surfaced on the internet on Wednesday, a group of militants under the name the Supreme Egbesu Liberation Fighters, had threatened to attack oil facilities in Lagos and Abuja, if the federal government does not harken to their demands. There have also been calls…
Author: Kenechukwu Ofomah
Awka – Thirty indigent students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, were on Wednesday presented with scholarship cheques for the sum of 50,000 naira each as educational support funds from the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, UNIZIK chapter. The cheques were handed over to the benefitting students who emerged after a thorough selection process, having met the required standards one of which is having a specified cumulative GPA. The scholarship was for the 2019/2020 academic session and would have been given last year, but for the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the shutdown of schools across the country. Also at…
Awka – Four policemen were on Wednesday allegedly killed in various attacks by unknown gunmen at locations in Mkpologwu, Aguata Local Government Area and Omogho in Orumba North LGA. TNC correspondent gathered that another policeman was seriously injured while the assailants made away with about five rifles belonging to the policemen. Also, a police patrol vehicle was set ablaze during one of the attacks. Eyewitnesses including some policemen who witnessed the incident, said the gunmen who drove in both a salon car and a Mercedes Benz 4Matic SUV, opened fire on the policemen who had been deployed on patrol in the…
Awka – Anambra State Government on Wednesday presented Certificates of Recognition to three new traditional rulers in the state. The certificate presentation was done by Governor of the State, Chief Willie Obiano, in the exercise of his constitutional mandate. Among the traditional rulers recognized and presented with certificates of recognition were the Traditional Ruler of Ideani in Idemili North LGA, Igwe Steven Onyekwelu Ezeji, the traditional ruler of Ugbene in Awka North, Igwe Samson Chimakwa, Awka North and their Orsumoghu in Ihiala LGA counterpart, Igwe Elochukwu Mbanefo. The presentation ceremony which was held at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia, had in…
Awka – Valentine Ozigbo, a leading Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant in the Anambra governorship election scheduled for November 6, 2021, has urged PDP delegates, stakeholders, and members to see the date for the party primaries, as a date with history. The Peoples Democratic Party recently announced Saturday, June 26, 2021 as the date for primary elections ahead of the November 6 governorship polls. In a statement made available to TNC correspondent, Mr. Ozigbo said the delegates of the party in the state should view the primaries as the first step towards redirecting Anambra State towards its destined greatness. According to…
Awka – Four female hawkers were on Wednesday crushed to death by a truck at Upper Iweka flyover, Onitsha. The unfortunate incident which took place at 7:30 am today, at Upper Iweka flyover, involved a blue Mercedes Benz truck with registration number XF 259 UNZ driven by an unidentified driver. TNC correspondent who arrived at the scene of the accident after it happened, gathered that the truck driver had a disagreement with the revenue collectors at Upper Iweka flyover. “In the process, the truck rolled back and crushed the four female hawkers who were walking along the road. The driver and…
Awka – The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has directed Commanding Officers across all formations of the Corps to commence immediate clampdown on rickety vehicles plying Nigerian roads. The clampdown is an integral part of re-jigged efforts of the Corps in the year 2021 to further reduce road traffic crashes across the country. The Corps Marshal’s order was contained in a statement issued by Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps on Tuesday at the National Headquarters, Abuja. According to Kazeem, the directive on rickety vehicles plying the nation’s highways indicates that the…
Despite the COVID-19 scourge that disrupted the global economy last year, Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) says the pandemic is not potent enough to stop its giant strides. “In the course of the last 13 months, we facilitated the flow of over N30 billion into agricultural value chains from commercial banks and other sources. Even though our operations suffered a stall during the lockdown of 2020, our technological depth gave us a pathway to return to work while remaining safe and socially-distanced. “It was important to continue, even increase, food and raw materials production as the…
Awka – The new Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Monday Bala Kuryas has said the State Police Command under his watch, will sustain the onslaught against criminals in the state. CP Kuryas disclosed this today in his maiden interaction with journalists in the state, at the State Police Command Headquarters in Awka. Kuryas, who has since resumed duties as Anambra Commissioner of Police, is a native of Kurya Dadu in Jaba LGA of Kaduna State, and was DC, DOPS, Ondo State Command before his latest appointment. Addressing journalists today, the new CP said the Command will double its efforts…
Awka – The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) of Anambra State Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency (FABDA), Mr. Emeka Iloghalu has revealed that the state government has commenced development of fish production villages across the three senatorial zones in the state. He made the revelation during an interview with TNC correspondent in Awka. Iloghalu said the State keyed into two of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) products and secured a N3.5b credit facility, Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS)-(N2.0b) and Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS)- (N1.5b). “The CACS is for disbursement to Agricultural businesses including the Fisheries and…
Awka – A teenage girl simply identified as Ada, who was chained by the neck and limbs and locked up by her parents, has been rescued by men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in Abia State. Freedom over the weekend came the way of the teenage girl, who is a native of Umuokoro Obinkita in Arochukwu local government area of Abia state. TNC correspondent gathered that the parents had alleged that their little daughter was suffering from a mental ailment, a situation that led to the action to prevent her from straying away. According to the NSCDC…
Enugu – The Controller of Corrections in Enugu State, Mr Joseph Emelue, says that the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) will engage in massive sensitization and engagement of key stakeholders, on non-custodial measures in Enugu State. Emelue said this in Enugu while officially opening a three-day training for Non-Custodial Directorate of the NCoS, Enugu State Command and other sister agencies. Non-Custodial Sentences are those sentences served elsewhere other than in a prison and may include Fines, Community service orders, Probation orders, Combination orders, Custody probation orders, Enhanced combination orders, Conditional discharge, among others. The three-day training is organised by Prisoners Rehabilitation and…
Owerri – Former Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha was on Monday granted bail alongside 13 others, by a Magistrate Court, in Owerri. The Court presided over by the Chief Magistrate Court 4, D. U Adikaibe, Owerri in Imo state, slammed five million naira fine on each of the accused persons including the former Commissioner for Transport, Lasbery Okafor Anyanwu and former local government chairman of Orlu LGA, Ijeoma Igboanusi. Another bail condition as announced by the Chief Magistrate, was that each of the accused persons would provide a prominent traditional ruler to sign for their surety. Reacting to the…
Awka – Anambra State Government on Saturday apprehended two notorious begging syndicates, using underage children to seek for alms. Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Lady Ndidi Mezue, led officials of the Ministry on the operation at Unizik Temporary Site Junction, Awka. The two women from Nasarawa and Enugu States, were apprehended with six children, four girls and two boys. TNC correspondent gathered that the women were among some beggers arrested at Nnewi and Awka, in December 2020, by a team led by the Commissioner, who were counseled, given food items and also provided with some amount of money…
Awka – Six labourers standing trial over alleged contravention of Anambra State Physical Planning Laws have been granted bail by Anambra Magistrate Court sitting in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area. The labourers, who were also accused of beating up personnel of Anambra State Physical Planning Board during one of their enforcement operations, pleaded not guilty to the 6-count charges brought against them. Mrs N.C Anyaegbunam, who presided over the matter, adjourned hearing to 2nd March, 2021, after granting the accused bail at conditions including sum of twenty thousand naira, sworn affidavit of means, two recent passport photographs, a surety in…
Awka – A Magistrate Court in Awka, Anambra State Capital, on Thursday, released all the persons arrested for violating COVID19 protocols and brought before it by the state COVID-19 Protocols. The individuals were picked up from various parts of the state capital city, by officials of the State Traffic Management Agency, (ATMA) and other Enforcement agents. TNC correspondent who witnessed the arrest of some of the alleged violators at Regina junction, reports that a fight had ensued between the leader of the taskforce and a man they wanted to arrest. Most of the Keke riders at the junction, had also mobilized…
The Rivers State Police Command has announced the arrival of a new Commissioner of Police in the state. The new CP, Friday Eboka, Thursday, took over the duties and responsibilities of the Rivers State Police Command from Joseph Mukan, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police and redeployed to Zone 8 Headquarters Lokoja as the Zonal Commander. The Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers State, Nnamdi Omoni in a statement on Friday, said CP Eboka who hails from Agbor in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree…
Onitsha – Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano and his Commissioner for Commerce, Market and Wealth Creation, Chief Uchenna Okafor, have been urged to immediately dissolve the Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) Caretaker Committee and restore democracy in Anambra markets. The Anambra State Traders’ Forum (ATF), which made the call in Onitsha on Thursday, lamented the increasing undemocratic culture in the State under Obiano’s administration. The State Government had in 2019, stopped the election being organised by Amalgamated Market Traders of Anambra State (AMATAS) to replace Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, the AMATAS former President-General, who is now representing Orumba North and…
Awka – The Traditional Ruler of Umuchukwu Community in Orumba South Council Area of Anambra State, Igwe Kenneth Maduka, has said he is willing to sheathe his sword and make peace with members of his community whom he alleged, had taken extreme actions against him and the community. Igwe Maduka was responding to a recent protest embarked on at the State Government house in Awka, by women of Nkerehi otherwise known as Umuchukwu Community on Wednesday. The women protested over what they described as harassment, intimidation and assault on them by the traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Kenneth Maduka and…
Awka – The Bauchi State Police Command investigations into a viral video of a torture scene where some group of young ladies in their late teens and early twenties were being tortured by some gang of boys, has revealed that the incident was the outcome of a fight between two girls over a boyfriend. The video released on the 8th February 14, 2021, showed the syndicate gang confining the group of captured ladies, numbering about ten of them, to an uncompleted building as they brutally and oppressively beat the girls with intensive strokes of the whip. The girls were further disgraced…
Awka – The Federal Government should de-emphasize the unilateral policy it has adopted for housing development across all the states of the Federation. This is because some states unlike the others, do not have the luxury of massive land mass, and has the need to maximize the use of their lands. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Anambra State Housing Development Corporation, Architect Willie Okafor made the appeal on Monday in Awka while reacting to issues of housing deficit experienced in the state raised by citizens and the government’ seeming silence over the issue. Statistics show that Anambra is the…
Awka – The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State has debunked rumours of hijack of its ongoing revalidation and registration exercise by some politicians within the party. Over the past week, some APC Governorship aspirants had raised alarm that former Senator Andy Uba, who also aspires to the seat of the State helmsman, had hijacked the exercise to gain upper hand during the party’s Governorship primaries, scheduled for later this year. There were also reported cases of issues with the ongoing exercise in Orumba North, Onitsha North and Oyi Local Government Areas of the State. But while speaking with TNC…
Awka – Anambra state government through the state Covid-19 Protocols Taskforce is currently arresting people who flout Covid-19 safety laws in Awka and environs. The exercise is in line with the efforts of the Anambra state government to curtail the spread of coronavirus in the state. The team commenced the exercise at Dr Alex Ekwueme square in Awka, through Arroma junction, Unizik junction, Kwata Roundabout, Amawbia junction, before proceeding to Onitsha, where they arrested over one hundred persons who were not putting on their facemasks. The taskforce led by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Obiano on Legal Matters, Barrister Chika…
Awka – The Vice-Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has eulogized the newly-elected Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, describing her emergence as historic. By her selection, Okonjo-Iweala becomes the First Female and First African WTO Director-General. Okonjo’s term which is renewable, is scheduled to start on March 1 and will expire on August 31, 2025. In a Congratulatory Message made available to TNC correspondent, Obi, who had earlier drummed support for Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy, expressed delight at her emergence, saying she has always been known to shine brilliantly…
Portharcourt – A High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has sentenced a young man to death by hanging for the murder of a delivery agent with an online marketing store, Jumia, in March 2017. The convict, Mr. Sodienye Mbatumukeke was arrested alongside his friends, Mr. Divine Excel Naabe and Miss Joy Eluwa for the murder of the delivery agent, Chukwuma Eleji. The lifeless body of late Eleji, the Jumia delivery agent, was found in a septic tank in an apartment on Ada-George Road in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on March 27, 2017. He was said to…
Nnewi – Contrary to his mother’s political inclination, Chief Ben Etiaba, son of former Anambra State Governor and first Female Governor in Nigeria, Dame Virgie Etiaba, is gearing to contest the Anambra 2021 Governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ben Etiaba on Monday took a major step towards the contest with the revalidation of his membership of the APC, at Obi Ezeonu Polling Centre in Nnewi in his Umudim Ward 1 Nnewi home, during the ongoing APC Membership Registration and Revalidation Centre. Dame Virgie who became governor of Anambra State on the platform of the All…
Awka – The Executive Secretary of Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, (ASPHCDA), Dr Chioma Ezenyimulu says the challenge of Primary Health Centres across the state, running out of stock for drugs, has become a thing of the past since Governor Willie Obiano established the Agency in 2015. Dr. Ezenyimulu disclosed this on Sunday in an exclusive chat with TNC correspondent, in Awka. The ASPHCDA, is an agency of the state government charged with overseeing the activities of the over 326 Primary Health Centres in Anambra State. Prior to its establishment, the management of the PHCs were done by the Health…
Awka – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra state has called for the immediate arrest of the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C.Don Adinuba and an aide to the State Governor, Evangelist Chinedu Obigwe. The call for the arrest of the duo, was following their utterances on the violence that ensued during a ‘Walk 4Health’ program, organized in Nnewi earlier this month, by an aspirant of the PDP, Valentine Ozigbo. Adinuba in a press statement, had accused the PDP of haaving a trademark of violence, chronicling the series of violence suffered by the state during its reign…
Awka – Five youth representatives in the Anambra State Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the Allegations of Extrajudicial Killings By The Defunct SARS, Police Brutality and Other Public Complaints Against The Nigerian Police, on Sunday, tendered their resignation from the Panel. The panel members included the registrar, Chijioke Ifediora, Henry Chibuike Ugwu, Osonwa Chukwuka, Comrade Ebelechukwu Ngini and Kas Chibuike Obiwuzie. They are accusing Anambra State Government of not providing the required logistics for the panel to undertake their assignment which hinges on bringing succor to victims of human rights violation by the Police in the state. The Panel had commenced…
Awka – The Lagos State Police Command says it has instituted an immediate investigation into the molestation of protesters arrested on Saturday during the renewed EndSARS protest at the Lekki tollgate. A viral video had shown some of the protesters, including popular comedian, Mr Macaroni, being roughhandled by police operatives. Reacting to the development in a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos State, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, was piqued by the unprofessional and inhuman act by the operatives. “The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to…
