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1 killed, several shops burnt as Imo govt demolishes Hausa settlements

Published

3 years ago

July 31, 2023

Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma

1 killed, several shops burnt as Imo govt demolishes Hausa settlements

One person was killed and another injured while several shops and homes were burnt down during an alleged operation by government officials on some Hausa communities in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.

Multiple sources told Daily Trust that the officials, believed to be agents of the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) and Environmental Transformation Agency (ENTRCO), alongside policemen set ablaze shops and properties in Avu Junction and Hausa market, Nekede No 1 market and Arugu market as part of the government’s efforts to remove alleged shanties and illegal structures.

“Several houses and shops belonging to northerners were burnt down, most of us are currently taking refuge in the bush and our Juma’at Mosque was equally demolished by the taskforce and the police,” said Nura Kabir Umar, a youth leader at Nekede No 1 market.

Umar, said tension started brewing on Thursday and climaxed on Sunday when policemen on the invitation of ENTRACO officials shot and killed a 35-year-old trader identified as Mudashir Muhammad and injured another.

Daily Trust reports that the Imo State Government, through the OCDA had last year declared a take-off of an enforcement order to reclaim the city capital from street trading, shanties and illegal parking.

The OCDA General Manager, Francis Chukwu, had then met with the leadership of Hausa communities in the state and urged them to cooperate with the government in achieving the plan.

Our correspondent, however, could not verify if the operations at the three markets were part of the plan as the Imo State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to his phone.

But traders at Nekede No 1 Market yesterday told our correspondent that there had been no notice or order from government agencies asking them to vacate and insisted that any allegation of crime within their neighbourhood should have been investigated.

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They alleged that government officials, with the connivance of the police, had instead set their wares ablaze and caused them to lose goods and properties worth millions of naira.

However, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, at a news conference on Sunday denied allegations that the three markets had been set ablaze. Instead, CP Barde said an inferno had gutted Avu market.

The CP, who spoke to journalists in Owerri said: “I invite you here this afternoon to clear some misleading reports making the rounds on social media, alleging that hoodlums attacked and burnt the popular Hausa Market Avu which is not true.

“For the purpose of clarity, I wish to inform you that the incident that happened at the market was a fire outbreak that led to loss of properties. No life was lost in the inferno and it’s under investigation and the outcome of our investigation will be made known to the public.

“I am pleased to inform you that, the Executive Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Hope Uzodinma, has been informed and directed arrangements be made for him to meet with those affected.”

Nura Kabir Umar, however, later confirmed that CP Barde had returned to the scene of the incident on Sunday evening after his men allegedly shot and killed a 35-year-old man.

“He came to the scene and urged us to exercise patience, adding that the governor was not aware of what had happened. We were at the scene assessing the damage to our property when members of ENTRACO and the police came and opened fire on us. They killed one and injured another,” he added.

Traders punch holes in CP’s statement

Traders from the three markets affected by the incident yesterday told Daily Trust that the statement by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, was far from the truth. They said there was no fire incident in any of the three markets, insisting that they had been directly targeted and attacked by government officials and the police.

Narrating the genesis of the incident, Musa Isa who had a provision store in the market said he lost goods close to N10 million in the incident.

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“It started on Thursday at about 11am. We heard that some people had stormed Onitsha Road burning shops belonging to Hausa people and injuring many. Some of their properties, goods and money were stolen. Many of them were beaten up,” he said.

“Twenty minutes later, the taskforce and the police arrived at Nekede No. 1 market. They burnt houses and shops. They beat up people and the hoodlums confiscated our money.”

He said upon realising that some of the attackers were police officers, together with members of the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA), and Environmental Transformation Agency (ENTRCO), they made efforts to contact other government officials to find out what was happening.

“We were not told anything; we asked our people not to take laws into their own hands,’’ he said.

Abdullahi Umaru, a suya seller from Sokoto State said his three selling points were burnt down. “I have lost everything. My wife and I now sleep outside, we don’t know what to do.

“For the police to say it is a fire incident, is unfortunate. These people came with bulldozers on Friday and demolished our place of worship. Who would see what has happened and claim it is a fire incident?

“They did not destroy only one market, or does that mean the fire jumped seven kilometres from one market to the other? These are people we saw, they came here with a bulldozer, demolished and burnt our properties and we are surprised to hear this coming from the commissioner of police,” Nura Kabir Umar said.

The youth leaders said they had approached policemen at the scene on Friday while their place of worship was being demolished but the security agents had instead asked them to leave. “It was soon after that, that they started setting the shops and the houses belonging to our members ablaze,” he said.

One of the Hausa community leaders in the state, Lawan Fagge, when contacted by this reporter also said suspected members of ENTACO group who claimed to be in operation to remove hoodlums from the area had burnt down their markets.

He said the attacks were carried out on three markets at Nekede No 1, Avu Junction, along Port Harcourt road, and Adugbo Park along Onitsha road.

Return home immediately, CNG tells northerners living in South East

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has advised all northerners to leave the South East immediately following renewed attacks on northern communities especially in Imo State.

CNG’s spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, made the call in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, where he emphasized that no group had the power to hold innocent people to ransom.

He also called on the federal government to take more urgent steps in disbanding militias, and armed groups in Imo State and the South East.

1 killed, several shops burnt as Imo govt demolishes Hausa settlements

Related Topics:Featured Hausa settlements Imo

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Boko Haram/ISWAP Attack Borno Police Station, Kill Four Officers, Hunter

Published

7 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Trends Admin

Boko Haram/ISWAP Attack Borno Police Station, Kill Four Officers, Hunter

Suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists have killed at least four police officers and a local hunter in coordinated attacks on security posts in Borno State, underscoring the persistent threat of insurgency in the region.

The attacks occurred in the early hours of Saturday, April 4, 2026, targeting the Nganzai Divisional Police Headquarters and a Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF)/Hunters duty post at the Malam Fatori IDP Camp in Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area.

According to ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, Police Public Relations Officer in Borno, the Nganzai police station came under fire at about 1:00 a.m., with terrorists deploying Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and other sophisticated weapons in an attempt to overrun the town. Police officers, supported by the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Crack Squad, military personnel, CJTF members, and local hunters, engaged the insurgents in a fierce gun battle, ultimately repelling the attack and restoring normalcy.

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Despite the successful defense, four police personnel “paid the supreme price”, while a section of the police station was damaged, and an unserviceable Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) was partially burnt.

Almost two hours later, at around 2:40 a.m., insurgents attacked the CJTF/hunters’ post at the entrance of the Malam Fatori IDP camp. One hunter, Atom Abua, 40, was killed, and about 20 thatched houses and properties were destroyed. Combined security teams prevented further loss of life and property.

Following the attacks, Commissioner of Police Naziru Abdulmajid deployed additional personnel and operational assets to the affected areas to strengthen security and prevent further incidents. He commended the bravery of officers and local defenders, extended condolences to the families of the deceased, and reassured the public of the command’s commitment to bringing the attackers to justice.

Security experts note that the attacks highlight the enduring insurgency threat in Borno State, where Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to target security installations and vulnerable communities despite ongoing counterterrorism operations. Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies.

Boko Haram/ISWAP Attack Borno Police Station, Kill Four Officers, Hunter

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NDLEA Arrests Lagos Pastor, Wife With 11kg Skunk Cannabis

Published

7 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Trends Admin

Pastor Afolabi Hodonu and his wife, Mrs. Success Hodonu

NDLEA Arrests Lagos Pastor, Wife With 11kg Skunk Cannabis

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Lagos-based pastor and his wife after discovering 11 kilogrammes of skunk cannabis concealed in specially modified compartments of their vehicle.

The suspects, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu, 45, in charge of the Celestial Church of Christ, Agonvi Sea Beach, Sakpo area of Seme border, Badagry, and his 35-year-old wife, Mrs. Success Hodonu, were apprehended on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Seme border, Lagos.

According to NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the couple was intercepted during a search of their Honda Pilot SUV, where officers recovered blocks of highly potent skunk cannabis hidden in secret compartments. Babafemi revealed that the arrest was linked to a previous seizure on March 30, 2026, when a suspected fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, was caught transporting 24.5 kilogrammes of skunk through the same checkpoint. Subsequent investigations led to the pastor and his wife.

“The arrest of Pastor Hodonu and his wife is part of our ongoing intelligence-driven operations against drug traffickers hiding behind legitimate businesses, religious titles, or elaborate concealment methods,” Babafemi said.

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The NDLEA has also conducted several other operations across Nigeria, leading to:

Seizure of 3.10 kilogrammes of cocaine at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, hidden in tins of palm kernel extract bound for the UK, leading to multiple arrests, including syndicate leaders in Lagos.
Arrest of a female drug supplier in Borno State, 28-year-old Aisha Adamu, with 4.3 kilograms of Colorado cannabis linked to bandit groups operating in the North East.
Recovery of 48,000 tramadol pills in Adamawa State and 1,378 kilograms of skunk in a warehouse in Edo State.
Arrest of a suspected drug dealer in Ibadan using her 11-year-old daughter to distribute drugs.

NDLEA Chairman and CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers for the successful operations, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug networks nationwide regardless of the traffickers’ status.

The pastor and his wife are currently in NDLEA custody and will face prosecution as investigations continue. Authorities have warned that drug trafficking in Nigeria carries severe legal penalties and that no individual is above the law.

NDLEA Arrests Lagos Pastor, Wife With 11kg Skunk Cannabis

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Hajiya Hadiza Attahiru Jega, Wife of Former INEC Chairman, Dies in Abuja

Published

8 hours ago

April 5, 2026

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Hajiya Hadiza Attahiru Jega and former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega

Hajiya Hadiza Attahiru Jega, Wife of Former INEC Chairman, Dies in Abuja

Hajiya Hadiza Attahiru Jega, wife of former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, has passed away in Abuja, officials confirmed on Sunday, April 5, 2026.

The news was announced by Bayero University Kano through its official social media channels.

“Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un. With total submission to the will of Allah, we announce the passing of Hajiya Hadiza Attahiru Jega,” the statement read, expressing sorrow and prayers for her family.

Hajiya Hadiza Attahiru Jega

According to the university, her Janazah (funeral) prayer is scheduled to take place immediately after Zuhr prayers at the National Mosque, Abuja, on Sunday, with burial proceedings to follow.

The institution prayed that Allah grant her Aljannatul Firdaus, forgive her shortcomings, and give strength to her grieving family.

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The university’s Director of Public Affairs, Lamara Garba, also confirmed the death, urging the public to offer prayers and support to the Jega family.

“Yes, it’s true. May the Almighty Allah forgive her shortcomings and grant her family patience to bear this loss,” he said.

Hajiya Hadiza was widely respected for her contributions to education, community service, and support for her family, especially in northern Nigeria.

Her death has drawn condolences from friends, colleagues, and public figures across the country, highlighting her influence and the respect she commanded in social and academic circles.

Her husband, Prof. Attahiru Jega, is a distinguished academic and public servant, known for his tenure as chairman of INEC; president of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) and his contributions to national policy and governance.

The passing of Hajiya Hadiza Attahiru Jega marks a significant loss for both her family and the broader Nigerian academic and civic community, with funeral arrangements reflecting her standing and the high regard in which she was held.