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Iwuanyanwu respects Yoruba, will never call them rascals; Ohanaeze denied the viral video

Published

2 years ago

March 26, 2023

Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has said its Chairman, Council of Elders, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, did not call Yoruba rascals as being reported.

In a statement by Dr Chiedozie Ogbonnia, the National Publicity Secretary, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, the group said Iwuanyanwu referred to political thugs that attacked Igbos in Lagos as rascals, adding that that the elder statement would never call Yoruba rascals.

The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to the fake news making the rounds that the Chairman, Council of Elders, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR (Ahaejiagamba) referred to the Yoruba as political rascals.

“This is a typical falsehood, fabricated by social media entrepreneurs, decorated with wings, expanded with venoms, injected with ethnic nuances, and propelled to fly to various corners, fronts, and heights in order to create inter-ethnic mistrust between the age-long partners in the social, cultural, religious and economic development of Nigeria. Indeed it is a lie from the pit of hell.

“Speaking in Awka, Anambra State on Saturday at the event to mark the one year in office of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of Anambra state, Chief Iwuanyanwu drew the attention of the audience and the general public to the fact that Ndigbo and Yoruba people are neither quarreling nor fighting, implying that the Yoruba are a friendly group of people.

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“According to Iwuanyanwu, “I want to tell those in Lagos to realize that there is no war between us and the Yoruba”, adding that “those who attacked Ndigbo in Lagos recently are rascals who should be arrested”.

“This has mischievously been twisted to imply that “Yoruba people are political rascals and that we will fight them”.

“This is quel dommage!’ It is from the insidious minds that wish to create a rift between the Igbo and the Yoruba ethnicities.

“At any time in history, there is often a tug of war between two major groups; mostly the good people with conscience on one hand and the devious insidious minds on the other. However, the moral force of the godly will always countervail the unconscionable.

“This helps to keep the world in an ontological equilibrium. So, as much as some mischief makers will twist the speech by Iwuanyanwu, the truth remains that Ahaejiagamba holds the Yoruba in very high esteem and he used the Awka event to express it.

“The emphasis is that we must not attribute the ugly event in Lagos to the good people of Yoruba ethnicity, rather, it was the handiwork of rascals, hooligans, spivs, charlatans, miscreants, and dregs of Lagos society.

“It is important to highlight that Chief Iwuanyanwu is a renowned patriotic detribalized Nigerian. He enjoyed the fidelity, confidence, solidarity, and support of the Yoruba when he was in active business and politics.

“He would recall with deep emotional attachment the cordial relationship he had with the Yoruba when he contested for the presidency of Nigeria in 1992; similarly as an Executive Chairman/Publisher of Champion Newspaper Limited, Chairman of Oriental Airlines Limited, Chairman of Oriental Shipping Lines Ltd; among others.

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“Iwuanyanwu in all his private and public discussions has often commended the profound Yoruba cultural values, intellect, and hospitality. He applauds the cordial relationship between the Igbo and the Yoruba, citing that several Igbo are an integral part of various Yoruba communities.

“The depth of the roots of the intermarriages that have taken place between the Igbo and the Yoruba is transcendental, eternal, and can no longer be uprooted. The successful marriages of Yoruba daughters by frontline Igbo sons; Chief Emeka Anyaoku; Asagba of Asaba, Professor Joseph Chike Edozien; Professor Vincent Ike, Professor Okey Ndibe, etc, and vice versa, exemplify the irreproachable similarity in the Igbo Yoruba cultural values and cosmology.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze Ndigbo will resist any attempt to paint the 2023 presidential election with an ethnic tar. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Peoples Congress and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples’ Democratic Party enjoyed the support of eminent Igbo sons and daughters. It is also on record that the emergence of Peter Obi and the success he recorded in the presidential election was by Nigerians of all ethnicity, class, and creed. This accounts for why the Ohanaeze was about the last to adopt Peter Obi as a presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

“Ohanaeze rather re-affirmed and indeed reaffirms its stand on the position of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) led by Chief E K Clarke and Chief Ayo Adebanjo.”

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No war between Igbo, Yoruba in Lagos – Ohanaeze

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EFCC will bring down towers of corruption this year – Olukoyede

Published

3 minutes ago

January 1, 2025

Trends Admin

Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede

EFCC will bring down towers of corruption this year – Olukoyede

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede has assured that the agency will surpass its 2024 record in the fight against corruption in 2025

Olukoyede who made the promise in Abuja on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, in a New Year Message to Nigerians affirmed that officers of the Commission will be unrelenting in breaking strongholds of corrupt practices across the country in the new year.

“ Our work is more than a vocation but a patriotic calling. We know this and will always offer our best to move the nation forward. 2025 will be another year of bringing towers of corruption down. Our focus is set and our commitment is total”, he said.

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The EFCC Chairman also called on Nigerians from all walks of life to be more determined and steadfast in their rejection of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption, pointing out that the progress of the country is awaiting their resolve in this regard.

According to Olukoyede, progress and robust development of the commanding heights of the economy and improvement in the quality of lives of Nigerians are hinged on rejection of corruption.

“We can make any progress and development we want for our nation to happen by our support for anti-corruption initiatives. The new year is offering us fresh opportunities to recommit ourselves to the ideals of transparency, accountability, and probity. The commanding heights of the economy and improvement in our lives can only be driven by our dedication to integrity and accountable conduct”.

The EFCC boss also wished Nigerians a happy and prosperous new year.

EFCC will bring down towers of corruption this year – Olukoyede

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Two online scammers arrested in Rivers for defrauding woman of N110m

Published

11 minutes ago

January 1, 2025

Trends Admin

Two online scammers arrested in Rivers for defrauding woman of N110m

Operatives of the C4i Intelligence Unit of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested two suspected online scammers, Michael Onyedikachi and Akachukwu Benedict, for defrauding a Canada-based Nigerian woman of N110m.

The spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 said the victim, Sandra Austin, a resident in Ontario, Canada, was deceived by the suspects into transferring N110m over two years.

Iringe-Koko explained that the scam began in February 2022 when Sandra received a Facebook friend request from an account named “Engineer Desmond Chibuike Okechukwu.

“Initially hesitant, Sandra eventually accepted the request, which led to frequent exchanges of messages. The individual behind the account posed as an engineer capable of assisting her in constructing properties in Nigeria,” the statement read.

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“The fraud escalated when the suspect persuaded Sandra to move their conversations to WhatsApp, where he shared photos of luxury homes he claimed to have built in upscale areas like Ajah, Lagos.

“Sandra expressed interest in one of the showcased properties, which the scammer claimed would cost N150m. Trusting his claims, she transferred a total of N110m to a provided bank account between 2022 and 2024.

After making a final payment of N30m, she was abruptly blocked from all communication channels.

The scam caused Sandra’s blood pressure to spike, requiring hospitalisation. Determined to seek justice, she contacted her family in Nigeria, who reported the matter to the police.

Following a petition to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, the case was referred to the C4i Intelligence Unit in Port Harcourt for a discreet investigation.

“The suspects attempted to intimidate Sandra to deter her from involving the authorities. However, the operatives, through intelligence-led policing, apprehended two suspects,” the statement read.

The first suspect, 29-year-old Michael Onyedikachi from Nkanu West LGA in Enugu State, was arrested on 14 August 2024 in his bungalow in Ama-Okponike, Enugu.

Iringe-Koko said Michael confessed to creating the fake “Engineer Desmond” account and admitted to using downloaded images of construction projects to deceive Sandra.

“Michael spent eight months in Accra, Ghana, learning online fraud techniques. During his arrest, a shrine believed to be linked to his fraudulent activities was discovered in his residence.”

The arrest of Michael led to the apprehension of his accomplice, 29-year-old Akachukwu Benedict, from Ngo-Okpala LGA, Imo State, on 16 August 2024.

Akachukwu was found in a hotel suite in Enugu, which he had booked for a year. He admitted to introducing Michael to online fraud in 2022 and confessed to swindling an American woman out of $600 in 2021.

The suspects revealed that they used cloned SIM cards and cryptocurrency wallets to avoid detection.

Items recovered from them included a Toyota Corolla, land documents, laptops, and mobile phones.

The police stated that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other accomplices, adding that the suspects will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.

“The swift action by the C4i Intelligence Unit underscores their commitment to combating cybercrime and ensuring justice for victims,” the statement concluded.

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I stand by my comments – Bauchi gov replies Presidency

Published

33 minutes ago

January 1, 2025

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed

I stand by my comments – Bauchi gov replies Presidency

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has firmly defended his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s proposed tax reforms, responding to the Presidency’s demands for a retraction with a resolute statement.

“I cannot be threatened as a governor. I stand by my comments. It is not meant to malign, insult, or to do anything to the contrary other than mean well,” Mohammed said during Channels Television’s 2024 Year-End Review program on Tuesday.

The governor, who also chairs the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, criticized what he described as the Presidency’s “arrogance” and urged federal authorities to heed the concerns of Nigerians. He warned that the proposed tax reforms, if enacted, would have severe economic consequences for sub-national governments and exacerbate poverty.

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“We believe that as the leader of the federation and all other federating units, they should listen to us, not to be arrogant and showing some elements of impunity that whatever happens, they would go ahead,” Mohammed said.

The governor also described the Presidency’s approach to the tax bills as “undemocratic,” asserting that even leaders with military backgrounds would have engaged with citizens and addressed “areas of suspicion and mistrust” in such a contentious policy.

He further highlighted the regional disparity in the proposed tax reforms, suggesting that they unfairly favor one part of the country over others. “Some states should not be allowed to die because they do not have the headquarters of companies in Nigeria,” he stated.

Governor Mohammed had previously criticized Tinubu’s tax bills in the National Assembly, warning that they were effectively “calls for anarchy” and threatened a strong response from northern leaders if the legislation was passed. “They would see our real colour,” Mohammed said during his earlier remarks.

In response, the Presidency accused Mohammed of engaging in “inflammatory rhetoric” and issuing “direct threats toward the federal government,” demanding that he retract his statements. However, Mohammed remains steadfast, framing his comments as a call for equity and fairness.

The governor’s position is aligned with those of his 18 counterparts in Northern Nigeria, who have unanimously rejected the proposed tax reforms. Despite mounting opposition, President Tinubu has insisted that the reforms are essential and will proceed as planned.