metro
Husbands scarcity looms in Anambra, other Southeast states
Husbands scarcity looms in Anambra, other Southeast states
Restiveness and killings in Anambra State and the Southeast geopolitical zone in general will deny women the opportunity of having spouses.
The declaration was made in the report of the Anambra Truth, Justice and Peace Commission (ATJPC), the Executive Summary of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, the state capital, yesterday.
It noted that restiveness and killings had resulted in a structural problem of demographic sustainability because women were finding it difficult to find mating partners.
The report stated that women are some of the worst-hit victims as they have suffered and might continue to suffer from killings, rape, loss of husbands and sons, and denial of livelihoods.
It noted also that thousands of young people had been killed since 1999 when restiveness became pronounced in the region, just as many had fled the rural areas.
“The killings from the ongoing violence in Igboland generally and in Anambra in particular due to violent crimes and claims of agitation have once again disproportionately affected the stock of young males in the region.
“It has reduced the likelihood that women will be able to find suitable mating or marriageable partners while also increasing the likelihood that females will end up unmarried and reproductively unfulfilled.
“It will further swell the number of unmarried women in the region, particularly among those who reside in the homeland and have limited interaction outside the boundaries of home.
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“These women could remain unmarried or wait out their productive years in search of a suitor who has likely been killed.
“They may feel intimidated about giving birth to a child outside marriage for fear of being labeled wayward and humiliating their families for birthing children into illegitimacy,” it declared.
The report recalled the case of Amaka Igwe, the lawyer who was killed in Onitsha alongside her husband.
It also recalled the killing of Harira Jubril near Umunze in Orumba South Local Government Area on May 25, 2022 alongside her four daughters.
It stated that the killings had resulted into destitution or dependencies among men and had led to economic impoverishment for many women, mass widowhood and enforced childlessness.
It noted that in rural or farming communities, polygamy had remained prevalent and women’s access to land depended on their relationship with the men in their lives.
The livelihood consequences of the killings for women could be very severe, it stressed.
“Married women who have no sons can lose access to land and to subsistence in a political economy in which re-marriage can be quite difficult for a woman with children.
“Naturally, the additional stress of this kind of life on top of the trauma of the disappearance of the husband or bread-winner can lead to diminished outcomes for physical and mental health.
“As many communities devolved subsequently into more generalised forms of atrocity and violence, hospitals and healthcare facilities had been destroyed in the restiveness.
“Healthcare workers had become afraid of showing up for work and access to reproductive healthcare and facilities had become more rarefied in the rural areas.
“Unlike most other parts of Nigeria which have a problem of girl-child school enrolment, Anambra leads the states of Southeast Nigeria in a unique regional problem of diminishing boy-child school enrolment and retention,” it stated.
It noted that women typically contributed to the livelihood and education of their children, but with their sources of income cut off, their children were denied access to basic nutrition and to social services.
The report stressed that consequences of insecurity had negated previous progress made on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Anambra as young boys abandoned education and fled their communities for fear of being killed or abducted.
The United Nations created 17 world development goals called the SDGs in 2015 with the aim of peace and prosperity for people and the planet, then and into the future.
The goals have 2030 as their attainment target date.
Anambra’s 14-man ATJPC was inaugurated in June 2022 to investigate insecurity in Anambra and the Southeast in general.
It submitted its final report to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Wednesday.
It had Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, a human rights lawyer and former Chairman of Nigeria Human Rights Commission, as its chairman.
Husbands scarcity looms in Anambra, other Southeast states
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metro
Residents Cry Out Over Poorly Constructed Entrance of Ademola Abiola Street, Demand Urgent Intervention
Residents Cry Out Over Poorly Constructed Entrance of Ademola Abiola Street, Demand Urgent Intervention
Community Blames Contractor, Ojokoro LCDA Over Neglect as Accidents Claim Lives
Residents of Ademola Abiola Street in Alakuko, Ojokoro LCDA, Lagos State, have expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of the entrance to their street, which they say was never properly constructed from the onset.
According to community sources, the street itself was commissioned in June/July 2016 and remains in good condition. However, the entrance to the street has had structural and construction-related issues since its commissioning. Despite repeated complaints lodged with the contractor handling the project, no meaningful action has been taken to address the problem. Subsequent appeals to the Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA) regarding the deteriorating state of the entrance have also failed to yield any positive results.
The situation has been further compounded by the closure of Adenekan Street, the neighbouring street to Ademola Abiola. Following the closure, Ademola Abiola Street has become the major route linking commuters to the Abeokuta Expressway. Vehicles heading to Sango, Abeokuta, and other destinations now frequently ply the street to access the expressway, resulting in heavy traffic and unprecedented pressure on the already problematic entrance.
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The increased vehicular movement has not only worsened the state of the poorly constructed entrance but has also turned it into a death trap. Several accidents have occurred at the entrance, one of which tragically claimed a life. Residents say the situation has become unbearable, with the heavy volume of vehicles compounding an already dangerous situation.
Speaking on the matter, Barrister Joshua Akindipe, Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA) and a prominent resident of the street, alongside Alhaji Abdulkareem Adebiyi, urged the CDA to urgently intervene and fix the entrance to prevent further loss of life. They stressed that the current state of the entrance poses a serious risk to residents and motorists alike.
The residents also recalled that the Chairman of Ojokoro LCDA, Barrister Yemisi Rosiji, had promised to fix the road since early last year. However, according to them, that promise remains unfulfilled, leaving the community to grapple with the dangerous consequences of government neglect.
Members of the community are now calling on the relevant authorities, including the Ojokoro LCDA and the Lagos State Government, to urgently intervene before more lives are lost. They insist that the entrance must be properly constructed and fixed, especially given its strategic importance as a major link to the Abeokuta Expressway.
For now, residents continue to live in fear as they navigate the hazardous entrance daily, hoping that their cries will finally be heard before another tragedy strikes.
Residents Cry Out Over Poorly Constructed Entrance of Ademola Abiola Street, Demand Urgent Intervention
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metro
Woman dies after husband allegedly assaults her over cooking, dance class
Woman dies after husband allegedly assaults her over cooking, dance class
A 38-year-old woman, Yamini Krishna Lal Yadav, has died in Nagpur, India, after her husband allegedly assaulted her during an argument over cooking and her decision to attend a dance class.
The woman’s husband, Krishna Lal Yadav, 41, has been arrested and booked in connection with her death after a post-mortem examination reportedly revealed serious internal injuries.
The incident occurred in the Mankapur area of Nagpur, Maharashtra, where the couple lived with their two young children.
According to reports, Krishna returned home from work and asked his wife to prepare food for him and the children. Yamini, however, was reportedly preparing to attend a dance class within their housing society and declined to cook at the time.
The disagreement allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation. Police said the husband was reportedly under the influence of alcohol when he allegedly assaulted Yamini around her neck and abdomen. The incident reportedly occurred in the presence of their children.
After the alleged assault, Yamini complained of severe pain in her neck and abdomen and reportedly asked her husband to get painkillers. He allegedly went to a nearby medical shop but returned after finding it closed.
Her condition later deteriorated, with her abdomen reportedly becoming swollen. She was subsequently taken to a private hospital in the area for treatment but died while receiving medical attention.
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The case initially appeared to be an accidental death, prompting police to send her body for a post-mortem examination.
However, the examination reportedly revealed a fractured neck bone and severe internal injuries, including serious damage to the intestines. Reports also indicated injuries consistent with strangulation and abdominal trauma, prompting investigators to reconsider the circumstances surrounding her death.
Following the post-mortem findings, police questioned Krishna and subsequently arrested him. A murder case was registered against him as investigations continued.
Yamini’s brother reportedly said the family was aware that the couple had experienced disagreements in the past. He said Yamini had occasionally spoken about problems in the marriage but had asked relatives not to intervene because she feared their involvement could worsen the situation.
The family initially believed Yamini had died following a medical emergency and was reportedly shocked when the post-mortem examination revealed evidence of significant physical injuries.
Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the Nagpur woman, while the accused remains in custody over the allegations.
The case has renewed concerns about domestic violence, particularly the need for victims experiencing abuse to have access to timely support and protection.
Woman dies after husband allegedly assaults her over cooking, dance class
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metro
NSCIA warns FG against weaponising state institutions in El-Rufai case
NSCIA warns FG against weaponising state institutions in El-Rufai case
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs breaks its silence on the former governor’s legal ordeal, citing “serious concerns” over possible sectarian agenda in the multiple prosecutions keeping El-Rufai in the spotlight.
ABUJA – The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has raised the alarm over what it described as “an extraneous involvement of an underlying religious bias” in the ongoing prosecutions of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The Islamic body, which had deliberately stayed out of the controversy until now, said recent developments had forced it to break its silence on the matter. In a statement signed by its Secretary-General and immediate-past Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the NSCIA explained that its earlier restraint was based on its belief that El-Rufai’s prosecution, like those involving other political figures, was a standard judicial process and that the judiciary had the inherent capacity to uphold justice. However, the council said recent developments in the public domain had raised serious concerns that strongly suggested religious considerations might be creeping into a process that should be determined solely by law and evidence.
The NSCIA called on the Federal Government and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests were strictly prevented from weaponising public institutions or the legal system to pursue what it described as a sectarian agenda against El-Rufai. “Consequently, the Council calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests are strictly prevented from weaponizing public institutions or the legal system to execute a sectarian agenda against him,” the statement read. The council stressed that its position was anchored on the Islamic principle of justice and fairness, regardless of political, religious or personal considerations, and clarified that its intervention was not intended to interfere with the judicial process but to emphasise the need for justice to be administered without religious or sectarian considerations. The Islamic body also appealed to the general public to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice the fair trial of El-Rufai or exacerbate the security situation in the nation. “Furthermore, the Council appeals to the general public to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice the fair trial of Mallam El-Rufai or exacerbate the security situation in our nation,” the statement read.
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The NSCIA‘s intervention comes against the backdrop of a protracted legal battle that has kept El-Rufai in the spotlight since February 2026. The former governor is facing multiple prosecutions by different agencies on charges bordering on alleged abuse of office, money laundering, breach of national security, and wiretapping. The council’s decision to speak out followed comments by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), who accused El-Rufai of planning killings in Southern Kaduna while he was governor between 2015 and 2023. Musa had described the situation in Kaduna during El-Rufai’s administration as “toxic”, adding that many residents of Southern Kaduna remained unhappy with the former governor over killings recorded in the area.
El-Rufai, through his family, rejected the allegation and demanded that the minister withdraw the claim, with his eldest son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, giving Musa seven days to provide evidence supporting the allegation or publicly retract it. The controversy generated by Musa’s remarks has further widened the debate surrounding El-Rufai’s legal battles, with the NSCIA‘s intervention effectively placing the prosecution within a wider debate over the alleged politicisation and religious manipulation of state institutions. The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has taken a sharply divergent position, backing the Defence Minister’s allegations and demanding an independent investigation into alleged killings and human rights abuses during El-Rufai’s administration, with possible prosecution before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The NSCIA’s intervention, which did not identify any individual or group it accused of pursuing a religious agenda, serves as a significant development in a case that has become a flashpoint for broader debates about judicial independence, political persecution, and religious neutrality in Nigeria’s legal system.
The council concluded its statement by praying for peace, stability and security in Nigeria. “May Almighty Allah grant peace, stability, and security to Nigeria,” it said.
NSCIA warns FG against weaponising state institutions in El-Rufai case
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