TheNewsGuru

Tag: Anambra

  • Police prosecute 80 cultists in Anambra

    The Anambra Police Command said it prosecuted 80 people for cultism related crimes between January and April.

    CSP Christopher Bassey, Commander of the Special Anti-Cultism Squad (SPACS) told newsmen in Onitsha on Sunday that all the command has also secured 80 convictions.

    Bassey said that the convicted cultists terrorised Obosi, Nkpor, Ogidi, Awada and Onitsha communities, adding that many suspects were set free after being counseled.

    “We are able to send about 80 notorious cultists to prison by the help of the courts while scores were counseled and released.

    “I think parents should monitor the company their children keep because investigations showed that those arrested were influenced by suspected criminals, who provide them with hard drugs, guns and money,” he said.

    Basey advised youths to shun cultism, warning that the police will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute anyone involved in the act.

    According to him, we will not spare anyone because the hard drugs they take influence them into constituting nuisance, and sometimes, commit violent crimes in the society.

    The commander, who denied that the police torture suspects, said they were rather screened for prosecution or counsel when arrested.

    “We advised them against engaging in crimes,” he stressed.

  • More than 10,000 candidates caught cheating in Anambra – JAMB

    More than 10,000 candidates caught cheating in Anambra – JAMB

    The Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) says more than 10,000 candidates caught for examination malpractices in the ongoing UTME in Anambra have been handed over to appropriate authority.

    Lynda Nwachukwu, the Coordinator of the board in Anambra, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Saturday.

    NAN reports that the all computer-based testing (CBT) mode 2017 UTME, which started on May 13 in 642 centres nationwide, ended on May 20.

    Ms. Nwachukwu said the examination, which took place in 28 centres in the state, was successful.

    “There was no disruption of the exercise in any of the examination centres,’’ she said.

    The coordinator said the candidates adhered strictly to the requirements of the examination, adding that JAMB provided all the materials required for the examination.

    NAN correspondent, who monitored the last batch of the examination, reports that some parents complained of system failure in some CBT centres in the state.

    Eucharia Okonkwo, a parent, said her daughter, who wrote the examination at the St Mary’s High School Ifite-Dunu centre, could not complete the examination due to the faulty computer and network failure at the centre.

    According to her daughter, many candidates could not complete the questions in record time because of the faulty system.

    Ms. Okonkwo advised JAMB to plan well for examination in subsequent years to avoid the technical hitches that could give the candidates psychological trauma.

    Mose Mojekeh, Head, Department of Marketing at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, told NAN on telephone that such system failure in UTME was not acceptable.

    According to him, the hiccups could potentially deny young people from Anambra State university admission.

    Mr. Mojekeh advised JAMB to urgently collate the number of candidates affected and set another examination for them.

    He also decried the practice whereby JAMB sends officials from one state to supervise examinations in another state.
    “Experience has shown that such officials do not care much about the candidates when problems arise, as they leave them to their fate,’’ the lecturer said.

    He called on the management of schools, whose candidates experienced the computer failure, to take their complaints to the State Ministry of Education to present their cases.
    JAMB concluded the 2017 CBT UTME on May 20.

    (NAN)

  • Army, DSS arrest 2 suspected thugs, recover arms, ammunition in Anambra

    The Nigerian Army in collaboration with operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) said they have arrested two suspected thugs and recovered some arms, ammunition and other items in Anambra.

    Col. Sagir Musa, Deputy Director Public Relations, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu made the disclosure in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Onitsha.

    “Following intelligence report, Operatives of the DSS, Anambra Command and a patrol team from 302 General Support Regiment Onitsha, successfully carried out a Cordon and Search Operation on three identified locations.

    “The locations are in Amansi – Umuru, Orukabia and Graceland Housing Estate, Nteje general area, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra.

    “The operation was conducted in the early hours of Sunday April 23, 2017 at about 06:00 a.m.

    “In the three areas that were searched, specifically, in building number 8, Chukwunonso Ndulue Street in Graceland Housing Estate, Nsugbe near Onitsha, two suspects were arrested,” he said.

    Musa said items such as seven pump action guns, 44 Cartridges, one hunter knife and two cutlasses were recovered from the suspects.

    According to him, the three mentioned communities have been engaged in hostile land and chieftaincy dispute which led to the gruesome murder of three civilians allegedly by suspected thugs.

    Musa explained that the areas had been under security surveillance for sometime now and that was the basis for the Cordon and Search operation in the localities.

    He said the suspects and exhibits would be handed over to the police for further investigation.

    The deputy director urged members of the public, especially in the affected communities, to continue to give useful information and report any suspicious movement of person or object to security agencies.

     

     

     

    NAN

     

  • Woman, 38, hangs self to death over childlessness in Anambra

    A woman, 38, has committed suicide at her residence in Umusiome village, Nkpor-agu near Onitsha, Anambra State.

    The deceased, a petty trader has been identified as Lovina Odo.

    Lovina, it was gathered, hung herself with rope tied to a ceiling fan.

    According to a report by Daily Trust, the deceased committed suicide over her inability to bear a child after eight years of marriage.

    The husband of the deceased, Okechukwu Odo, a car washer, said he was in shock over the incident.

    He explained that there were no misunderstanding between him and his late wife.

    “I left for work after breakfast that fateful day without any misunderstanding with her.”

    “She even asked me to buy a tuber of yam for dinner.

    “I was however surprised to meet sympathizers around my apartment when I returned home.

    “When I asked why they gathered, they told me that my wife had committed suicide”.

    The Divisional Police Officer of Ogidi, CSP Hassan Musa, confirmed the incident.

    He said the corpse had since been removed and deposited at the Iyienu Mission Hospital Mortuary.

    “No suicide note was seen around her but preliminary investigation reveals that she might have committed suicide because she had no child,” he said.

  • Soludo, Ubah, others jostle for Anambra governorship seat

    A former CBN Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo and twelve other aspirants have indicated interest to contest for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election.

    Mr Emeka Ibe, Chairman of the party in the state, made this known to newsmen on Tuesday in Awka.

    He stressed that there would be no automatic ticket for any aspirant, adding that they would all participate in the state`s primaries to emerge as candidate for the election.

    “We will give all aspirants equal playing ground. There is no special interest in any aspirant.

    “We will hold transparent primaries for them because they are all qualified to unseat Governor Willie Obiano.

    “Any of them who emerges as our candidate in the state is capable of removing Obiano from office,’’ Ibe said.

    He added that the party would embark on continuous membership registration exercise before the end of the month to accommodate those who want to join in the state.

    Ibe, however, said that anybody with criminal records would not be allowed to join the party in the state.

    He maintained that there was no zoning arrangement in the party, adding that new members would have equal rights as old ones.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that others, who indicated interest to contest the APC ticket include: Chief George Muoghalu, Chief Barth Nwibe, Mr Obinna Okonkwo and Chief Paul Chukwuma.

    Others are Dr Chike Obidigbo, Chief Raph Okeke, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, Chief Tony Nwoye, Sen. Uche Ekwunife, Sen. Andy Ubah, Chief Obinna Uzor and Prince Donatus Okonkwo.

     

  • Anambra to produce 330,000 tonnes of rice by December

    Anambra to produce 330,000 tonnes of rice by December

    Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra says his administration intends to produce 330,000 tonnes of rice by December and make agriculture a lucrative venture for the youth.

    The governor gave the assurance, while speaking at the birthday celebration of Chief Anthony Enukeme, a businessman, in Neni, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.

    He said that his administration had increased the state’s rice production capacity from 90,000 tonnes in 2015, when assumed office, to over 236,000 tonnes by December, 2016.

    The governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Nkem Okeke, solicited enhanced collaboration between the government and the people in efforts to develop the state.

    Obiano reiterated the determination of his administration to revolutionise agriculture, as part of efforts to boost nation’s food security.

    He said that administration had recorded some achievements in the areas of security, infrastructure and workers’ welfare, among others, assuring farmers in the state of his continuous support.

    The governor, who congratulated Enukeme on his 73rd birthday, also commended him for tarring all the feeder roads in Neni, urging other affluent citizens of the state to emulate the businessman’s gesture.

    In his remark, Chief Victor Oye, the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), solicited the people’s support for the re-election of Obiano during the November 2017 governorship election.

    He said that Obiano’s re-election would enable him to consolidate his accomplishments in the state.

    Responding, Enukeme thanked God for giving him the privilege to serve his people.

     

    NAN

  • 4 injured as herdsmen, farmers clash in Anambra

    4 injured as herdsmen, farmers clash in Anambra

    NO fewer than four persons were, yesterday, hospitalized following injuries they sustained when some Fulani herdsmen and farmers clashed in a farmland at Okoti-Odekpe community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    This came as some communities in Nimbo, Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State donated over 350 hectares of land to enable the African Nations Development Programme, ANDP, build a home for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the area.

    According to the source, the clash started at about 10 a.m. when the herdsmen invaded the farmland with their cattle and destroyed a large farmland which resulted in a clash as a farmer from Okoti-Odekpe and three herdsmen were injured.

    Eyewitnesses told newsmen that it was the herdsmen that first launched the attack against the farmers with cutlasses and injured one Dubem Ononuju.

    This led the farmers to launch a reprisal attack and they injured three herdsmen. Armed Fulani-herdsmen The incident attracted the attention of soldiers, navy and policemen, who rushed to the scene and rescued the herdsmen from the youths of the community and took the injured to a nearby hospital.

    Confirming the incident, the Police Area Commander for Onitsha, Yahaya Abubakar, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said some arrests were made.

  • I won’t contest 2017 Anambra governorship race – Ngige

    I won’t contest 2017 Anambra governorship race – Ngige

    Sequel to rumours that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, would be contesting the 2017 Anambra governorship election, the minister has told his followers to count him out of the race.

    Ngige cleared the air on Monday after rumours had it that he would contest governorship election in Anambra State.

    He said his work as a minister was challenging, hence, the coming governorship contest was not his concern.

    He, however, said his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, would take over the State.

    The former governor told newsmen in Awka, “I have a job I’m doing for the Federal Government. I’m in charge of labour and employment, I have too much on my hands to start talking about governorship in Anambra State.

    “Right now, I have a powerful ministry that is challenging, my brain is working for now, the governorship does not concern me, but you will see me when APC picks its candidate for the 2017 election.

    “There are many aspirants that have declared interest and some of them are people who decamped from APGA. Chike Obidigbo came with his own faction into APC. Tony Nwoye has left PDP with sizeable number. We have George Muoghalu, Chief Nwibe and Obinna Uzor.”

  • Obiano invites Super Falcons for Anambra’s 25th anniversary celebration

    Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra has invited the Super Falcons to be guests of the state government during activities marking the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the state.

    The state’s Commissioner for Information and Communication Strategy, Tony Nnachetta, disclosed this in a statement in Awka on Monday.

    “The governor said Anambra would host the team in Awka to further demonstrate the feeling of elation of the good people of the state regarding the victory.

    “He said the invitation would also exhibit the honour which the team had brought to Nigerians, even in these times of economic hardship,’’ Nnachetta said.

    Obiano, who assured the Super Falcons of his administration’s support, congratulated the team for winning the 10th edition of the Women’s African Cup of Nations (AWCON) held in Cameroon.

    The senior national women football team on Saturday defeated their Cameroonian counterparts 1-0 in the final match of the competition in Yaounde.

    The governor praised the players and their coaching crew for the bravery displayed in humbling the Cameroonian team at the Ahmadu Ahidjo Stadium.

    “This was in spite of the numerous distractions and the vociferous support of the home fans for their opponents,’’ he said.

    Obiano also congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and all other Nigerians for their invaluable support and encouragement to the team.

    “Their support contributed to the victory of the African women football champions.

    “With the spirit of oneness which Nigerians always show during such competitions, there is no doubt that the country is marked for greatness.’’

    The governor described the team’s victory as “yet another demonstration of the tactical discipline, focus and determination the team showed throughout the competition’s qualifying series, as is characteristic of every Nigerian team’’.

    “On behalf of Ndi Anambra, I heartily congratulate you on this great feat.

    “Winning the Women’s African Cup of Nations for a record eighth time out of the 10 editions is obviously no mean achievement.

    “It is indicative of the courage, resilience and winning mentality which you have shown in the last two decades, not only in the African continent but also in the world at large.

    “We are proud of you and are happy to identify with this superlative performance.’’