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Tag: Anambra State

  • Shooting rocks Anambra community over ownership of parks

    Shooting rocks Anambra community over ownership of parks

    There was pandemonium on Wednesday in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra, over ownership of parks, as armed masked men allegedly took over the parks.

    It was gathered that no fewer than five persons were allegedly injured during the stampede caused by the shooting from the armed masked men.

    Briefing newsmen on the development, the Chairman of Amafor Nkpor community, Emmanuel Idemili, said that the armed men stormed the scene where his men were working, started shooting and chased his men away.

    According to him, “we are in charge of the parks, we got our permissions from the state government to generate revenue from the parks for the state government.

    “Just this morning, I was at Awka on official assignment, when our men who were working at the parks called me and told me that masked armed elements stormed the parks under the fly-over bridge and started shooting indiscriminately.

    “They ordered my men to vacate the place immediately.

    “I was told that over five people were injured during the stampede as a result of the heavy shooting of which I am yet to know if my members were involved.

    “The shooting resulted in traders at Nkpor New Auto Spare Parks and Nkpor Relief Markets immediately shutting their shops and fleeing to safety,” he said.

    When contacted for confirmation, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said that he was not aware of the incident.

  • Why I couldn’t conduct LG election in my time for over six years – Peter Obi 

    Why I couldn’t conduct LG election in my time for over six years – Peter Obi 

    The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25, 2023 presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi, said that he couldn’t conduct  local government elections for six years while serving as the governor of Anambra State due to court litigations.

    He disclosed this during the LP mega rally held in Benin at the Baptist Convention ground, ahead of the September 2 Local Government Council election in Edo State.

    Obi said despite that he didn’t conduct the elections, the money accrued to the local government was still used for the development of the local government areas.

    ” As a governor, I was prevented by arms of legal and litigations from conducting local government elections for over six years but I can still tell you one thing that, we still use the money belonging to the local government in the local government system and I can say it here and I want all of you to take this, go and look and verify all the money that came to local government in Anambra State whether anyone is missing”, Obi said.

    The LP presidential candidate said the importance of the local government cannot be overemphasized because it is closer to the people, therefore, they should participate and ensure that candidates fielded by the party are victorious at the polls.

    “Local Government is the nearest to the people. Local Government is supposed to be the root for ensuring development.

    According to him, It is the system that is closer to the people and three most critical areas of development are health, it is the local government, through the primary healthcare, number two is education.

    He said , It is still the local government. When you talk about education, you talk about basic education, which is primary and secondary education and it is the local government who will be the one to fund it.

    He further said, as you know today in Nigeria, there is mass poverty and that mass poverty is in the local government. So, for the system to work, a country that develop well, it is the local government, the sub national which is the state and the central government.

    “So the central government will come through the sub national to the local government. So anything development is domiciled in the local government,” Obi said.

    Speaking also, the national chairman of the party, Julius Abure, while commending the party for their turn out in the state during the presidential election, said they should replicate same in the forthcoming local government elections so that the party’s candidates will emerge winners in their various local government councils.

    While also thanking the state governor, Godwin Obaseki for calling for the local government elections, said the governor should allow the process to be free, fair and credible.

    For one of the leading governorship aspirants and former Nigerian Bar Association’s President, Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata, urged the candidates not to entertain any fear but go and cast their votes and wait for the outcome of the results.

    Earlier, the state chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi, thanked the party’s presidential candidate for coming to Benin to boost the local government candidates morale ahead ahead of the election just as he urged party faithful to ensure that they deliver their party’s candidates in the election.

  • Nationwide protest: We can’t bear the suffering any more – Anambra NLC tells Tinubu

    Nationwide protest: We can’t bear the suffering any more – Anambra NLC tells Tinubu

    Anambra State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said that the subsidy removal announced during President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration has inflicted so much hardship on Nigerians.

    All the affiliated unions that constitute NLC in the state, including representatives of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), among others, participated in the protest which took off from the state office of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE.

    The unions were seeing carrying placards with various inscriptions such as ‘End fuel price increase,’, ‘Fix our local refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna’, ‘No to Jumbo pay for politicians’, ‘Stop naira devaluation’ and ‘We cannot bear the suffering any more’.

    The state chairman of the NLC, Comrade Humphrey Nwafor, said the protest was to bring to notice, the hardship Nigerians were passing through under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    According to him, the organized labour in Anambra State decided to join the national body to send the message to the federal government, adding that the subsidy removal announced during President Tinubu’s inauguration has inflicted so much hardship on Nigerians.

    Nwafor said: “Other Nigerians should equally raise their voices against the current economic situation of the country.

    “We demanded that the FG should pay the 8-months’ salary of University workers.

    “The FG should not allow private companies to determine the price increase of petroleum products for Nigerians, when we have our regulatory agency.

    “We are also not accepting the N8,000 palliative. As I speak, the cost of living here in Anambra State is very high. The current house rent in Awka is higher than other state capitals of the Federation while workers monthly salaries remain the same.

    Nwafor called on President Tinubu to revise all the anti- people policies he has put in place in the interest of the poor masses

  • 15-year-old girl narrates nasty time in forced prostitution

    15-year-old girl narrates nasty time in forced prostitution

    A 15-year-old girl [names withheld] has narrated her nasty experience in forced prostitution after she was taken from her home in Ebonyi State by two ladies.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports she narrated her experience after she and 11 other such girls were rescued from brothels in Anambra State on Tuesday.

    Narrating her ordeal, the 15-year-old girl told newsmen that she was taken from her home in Ebonyi by two ladies.

    She said the ladies tricked her to believe that she would be employed as sales girl in Anambra. She said she was shocked that she was taken to Awka to engage in prostitution.

    “The ladies who brought us to the brothel in Awka seized our phones and other belongings before handing us over to another woman.

    “The woman is our madam and she told us that she would not release us unless we pay her N150,000 each or serve her for a period of one year.

    “We were mandated to bring between N10,000 and N15,000 every night and N40,000 every Sunday. The men who sleep with us usually pay N1,000 per session.

    “We started having issues with our madam because we could not pay the stated sums,’’ she said.

    The girl said herself and other captives used a whistle blower’s phone to get across to their families and the whistle blower in turn notified the ministry and the police, leading to the raid.

    The mother of the 15-year-old said she already lodged a complaint at a police station in Abakaliki when her daughter did not return home.

    She thanked the commissioner and the police for their prompt response and efforts.

    TNG reports the Anambra government on Tuesday warned brothel operators to stop using underage girls to run their businesses or face prosecution.

    Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo, gave the warning in Awka on Tuesday while reacting to the rescue of 12 such girls from brothels in the state capital on Sunday.

    The ministry, in collaboration with the police, rescued the 12 girls, some as young as 15 years, in a raid at a guest house in Amawbia on June 18.

    “Anambra government is committed to putting an end to all forms of child kidnap, trafficking and sexual slavery in the state.

    “We got a tip-off and during the raid we discovered that three out of the 12 girls are underage girls who were trafficked into Anambra from other states.

    “We are warning to brothel operators in Anambra. They should desist from using underage girls in running their businesses or face the full wrath of the law.

    “The owner of the brothel has been arrested and the case will not be treated with levity as it has been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, for investigation,’’ Obinabo said.

    She added that the girls had been taken to hospital for medical examination and treatment and their families had been contacted.

  • Police reveal identity of US embassy officials involved in Anambra brutal attack

    Police reveal identity of US embassy officials involved in Anambra brutal attack

    The Police Command in Anambra have released names of nine U.S.  Consulate personnel from Lagos involved in Tuesday’s brutal attack which claimed seven lives at Ogbaru area of the state.

    Mr Echeng Echeng, the  Commissioner of Police in Anambra made the disclosure at a news  conference at the  command’s headquarters in Amawbia on Thursday.

    Echeng listed the persons as; Jefferson Obayuwane, Sunday Prince Ubong, Ekene Nweke, Hassan Etila, Avwuvie Kaye Monday, Bukar. A. Kabuiki, Emmanuel Lukpata, Friday Morgan, and Adamu Andrew.

    It was gathered that out of the number, seven were killed and set ablaze in their vehicles, while two were kidnapped.

    Echeng said the deceased included men from Squadron 23, Police Mobile Force Lagos, Inspectors Bukar Adams, Friday Morgan, Adam Andrew and Emmanuel Lupata.

    The CP said that security operatives had arrested two persons in connection with the crime and were now helping in investigations on the matter.

    Echeng said joint security forces comprising,  police tactical teams, Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy raided a camp in Ogwuanaocha community of Ogbaru, which was suspected to be the hideout of the assailants on Wednesday May 17 but discovered that it had been deserted.

    The personnel of Lagos Consulate of the U. S. and their police escorts were ambushed on May 16,  between 12 noon and 2 pm along Atani/Osamala road in Ogbaru after assessment tour of erosion ravaged communities.

    Echeng blamed the attack on members of suspected Eastern Security Network ESN and proscribed  Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) adding that efforts were on to track the location of the gunmen.

    “Information about the incident was received by the police command in Anambra , through an official of the consulate, at about 2:30 pm on Tuesday.

    “Consequently, a joint team of Mobile Policemen and troops of the Nigerian Navy stationed in Onitsha was immediately deployed to the area.

    “Upon arrival at the scene of the incident, the joint security team sighted and engaged the assailants in a shoot-out but they escaped through a nearby forest,’’ he said.

    Giving more details, he said further preliminary investigation by the command revealed that five male officials of the U.S. consulate and four armed Mobile Police escorted from Lagos were on a mission to assess the impact of erosion in Ogbaru before they were ambushed.

    “Regrettably, seven persons including three of the consulate officials and four Mobile Police escorts were murdered during the attack while two other officials of the consulate are yet to be found.

    “The deceased police officers include; Bukar Adams, Friday Morgan, Adam Andrew and Emmanuel Lupata,’’ he said.

    Echeng said the remains of the deceased persons had  been recovered and deposited in a morgue while the state police command and other security agencies were working round-the-clock with the  Anambra government to rescue the missing officials.

    He appealed to the public to  provide information about the identities and locations of the culprits, to  assist the police.

    Echeng also condoled with  families and friends of the deceased persons as well as the U.S. consulate over the tragic incident.

  • Gov Soludo make vow against attackers of US embassy staff convoy

    Gov Soludo make vow against attackers of US embassy staff convoy

    Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra has expressed sadness over the attack on United States embassy staff and Policemen in the state.

    Soludo, in a statement signed by Mr Christian Aburime, his Press Secretary, described the attack as heinous and unprovoked.

    Recall that US Embassy convoy were attacked on Atani-Osamala Road, Ogbaru Local Government Area, leaving two Staff and policemen killed by yet-to-be identified assailants on May 16.

    Soludo said his administration had in the last one year worked very hard with gallant security forces to massively degrade criminality and restore law and order and could proudly assert that Anambra was currently one of the safest states in Nigeria.

    He said the US embassy convoy incident in a remote Riverine community in Ogbaru local government was a reminder that patches of these criminal gangs could still unleash senseless and murderous acts.

    He vowed that the Anambra government would actively work with security agencies to smoke out the criminals and bring them to justice.

    “Only two weeks ago, the dreaded and notorious criminal gang leader, operating mostly in a neighboring state, was gunned down with four of his team members when they made incursions into Anambra and recovered huge deadly weapons.

    “The criminals are largely on the run or feeling the heat of our zero tolerance to criminality.

    “We call on anyone with information on the identity or whereabouts of the criminals to offer the same on our secured security phone numbers or to any of the security agencies and such informants will be handsomely rewarded.

    “We assure our residents and visitors of our continued commitment to law and order. This incident has emboldened our drive,” it said.

    Soludo said it was evident the visiting team made their own security arrangements and totally bypassed the existing security architecture in the state and the state government was not aware of the “humanitarian mission” of the visiting team.

    According to him, in a place like parts of Ogbaru where security forces have been fighting the criminals and oil bunkerers, the sight of few policemen can indeed attract vengeance from the criminal gangs.

    “The Government of Anambra once again, expressed its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims and reassure the United States Embassy in Nigeria of our unwavering commitment to the safety and security of its officials in the state,” it said.

  • America appeals to Nigerians: help fish out killers of embassy officials

    America appeals to Nigerians: help fish out killers of embassy officials

    The United States Government has made a promise to help apprehend the attackers and killers of its officials and two policemen in Anambra state.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that a gang of unknown assailants on Tuesday attacked a motorcade of two U.S. government vehicles in the Ogbaru Local Government Area.

    The convoy was carrying 9 Nigerian nationals, five employees of the U.S. Mission and four members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

    The delegation was traveling in advance of a planned visit to a flood response project in Anambra sponsored by the American government.

    A statement the consulate issued Wednesday night quoted Secretary of State, Antony Blinken saying America doesn’t yet know the motive for the attack and if it was targeted against the Mission.

    “The assailants killed at least four members of the convoy. U.S. agencies are collaborating with Nigerian counterparts to ascertain the location and condition of victims unaccounted for.

    “We condemn in the strongest terms this attack. We will work closely with our Nigerian law enforcement colleagues in seeking to bring those responsible to justice,” Blinken promised.

    The U.S. said it has no greater priority than the safety and security of its personnel, expressing heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed in the attack.

    The statement further reaffirmed America’s strong commitment to the people of Nigeria to assist in the fight against violence and insecurity.

  • How gunmen killed, burned bodies of US embassy officials in Anambra

    How gunmen killed, burned bodies of US embassy officials in Anambra

    The Police Command in Anambra State has disclosed how gunmen on Tuesday killed two mobile policemen and two staff members of the U.S Consulate and set their bodies and vehicles on fire.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Command Spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement in Onitsha, said that no U.S citizen was involved in the convoy attacked by gunmen in Ogbaru local government area of the State.

    DSP Ikenga said the command was concerned that such officials will visit the State without recourse to the police in the area or any security agency.

    According to him, a Joint Security Force has, however, embarked on a rescue and recovery operation to track and apprehend the gunmen.

    “Following an attack on a convoy of staff of U.S Consulate around 3:30 p. m. along Atani, Osamale road.

    “The hoodlums murdered two of the PMF operatives, and two staff of the Consulate, and set their bodies ablaze and their vehicles.

    “Also, the arsonist/murderers on sighting the responding joint security forces abducted two Police operatives, the driver of the second vehicle and took to their heels.

    “No U.S citizen was in the convoy”, he said.

    He assured that the battle against insurgents in the state will be sustained until stability is fully restored.

  • Anambra woman arrested for brutalizing domestic help

    Anambra woman arrested for brutalizing domestic help

    A nursing mother, Mrs. Chinyere Ifesinachi, has been arrested by the Anambra State Government for brutalizing her househelp.

    Mrs. Ifesinachi was arrested in Nnewi on the order of the Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Hon. Ify Obinabo.

    A viral picture of the domestic help Idinmachukwu, was spotted while running errand for her madam in Anambra state.

    The little girl was seen crying with scars all over her body with swollen face.

    She said that she was brutalized by her madam for mistakenly dropping one of her madam’s twins, who she was taking care of.

    A media aide to the Anambra State Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Children’s Welfare, Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, stated that upon her arrest, the abuser, Mrs Ifesinachi, claimed that her actions were the handiwork of the devil.

    The 25-year-old mother of two was said to have begged that if freed, she would never engage in such behavior.

    The 8-year-old house help was said to be her sister’s daughter, who was given to her in March this year, to assist her in taking care of her twins after she complained that she could not cope with house chores since putting them to bed.

    Ikeanyionwu quoted commissioner Obinabo as saying that the woman has been handed over to the police for investigation, and that she will be charged to court afterwards.

  • Widow forced to drink water used in washing corpse of husband’s nephew

    Widow forced to drink water used in washing corpse of husband’s nephew

    A widow, identified as Mrs Patricia Eligbue, has been rescued after her husband’s relatives forced her to drink water used in washing the corpse of the husband’s nephew.

    Mrs Ify Obinabo, Commissioner, Anambra State Ministry for Women and Social Welfare made the disclosure while calling for the abolition of the practice of forcing widows to consume water used for bathing corpses in the State.

    Obinabo made the call on Tuesday in Awka, after the ministry rescued Mrs Eligbue from her relatives who forced her to drink water used in washing the corpse of her husband’s nephew.

    The incident occurred at Atani in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    “We are warning residents and communities to stop and desist from any form of harmful traditional practices against widows in the state. Such practices will not be tolerated.

    “Investigation revealed that the deceased died after a brief illness at his sister’s house at Ozubulu, in Ekwusigo Local Government Area.

    “The incident happened because the sister claimed that she saw Patricia (the widow) strangling the deceased in a dream.

    “The accused persons who denied the allegations have been trying to conceal the act until the ministry in collaboration with the police intervened.

    “They have been arrested and would be arraigned at the Children, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Magistrate court in Awka,” the Commissioner said.

    Narrating her ordeal, Eligbue, the widow, said her in-laws who had been maltreating her since she lost her husband, accused her of killing the deceased.

    “They called me a witch and subjected me to all kinds of abuses. They also said I am responsible for all the unfortunate things happening to them.

    “After the death of my husband’s nephew, my husband’s family summoned me inside the room where they kept the dead body on the burial day.

    “They placed a cutlass on the deceased body and asked me to walk over it four times before they now bath the corpse and forced me to drink the water before pouring the remaining on me,” she said.