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Ohanaeze urges Igbos to stay away from June 12 protests

Published

6 months ago

June 9, 2025

Ohanaeze urges Igbos to stay away from June 12 protests

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has issued a firm directive advising all Igbos across Nigeria to withdraw from the planned nationwide June 12 Democracy Day protests.

The group said its decision follows credible intelligence suggesting a plot to incite violence and frame Igbos as enemies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a press release signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the organization announced that no protest activities would be permitted across the seven Igbo-speaking states, citing security concerns, historical grievances, and the government’s continued detention of Igbo political prisoners as reasons for the boycott.

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Part of the statement read: “This is not an act of cowardice, but a necessary strategy to protect Igbo lives and properties. We have seen enough bloodshed. This time, we will not be used as scapegoats.”

Ohanaeze alleged that anti-democratic actors in cities like Abuja, Kaduna, Maiduguri, and Lagos are plotting to hijack the protests and manipulate outcomes to portray the Igbo as instigators of national instability.

The group also decried the perceived injustice in the selective release of political detainees by the federal government while Igbo activists, including Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, remain in detention without due process. They demanded the immediate release of all “Igbo prisoners of conscience” as a precondition for future national engagement.

“No Igbo will join any protests until all our political prisoners are freed and all charges against them dropped,” Isiguzoro declared.

Ohanaeze further urged President Tinubu to use the symbolic weight of June 12 to initiate national reconciliation.

They called for the implementation of the 2014 National Conference recommendations, full electoral reforms, and a transparent 2025 census that includes ethnic and religious data.

“The Southeast is open to dialogue, but not under the threat of violence or continued injustice. The time for true restructuring and reconciliation is now,” the group stated.

Ohanaeze urges Igbos to stay away from June 12 protests

Related Topics:Featured Igbos Ohanaeze protests

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Ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Denies Allegations of Financing Terrorism

Published

3 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Trends Admin

Godwin Emefiele

Ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Denies Allegations of Financing Terrorism

Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has strongly denied allegations linking him to terrorism financing in Nigeria, describing the claims as “mischievous and malicious.”

In a statement released on Saturday, December 6, 2025, Emefiele said the reports were “entirely fabricated, baseless, and a deliberate attempt to malign my name, mislead the public, and sow confusion for motives best known only to the publishers and their sponsors.”

He emphasized that the fight against terrorism is too important to be trivialized by irresponsible reporting, warning that Nigerians deserve accurate information rather than “reckless misinformation.”

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“Throughout my service to the nation and in my private life, at no time have I been involved in any activity remotely connected to terrorism, terrorist financing, or any action that threatens the peace and security of our nation,” Emefiele stated. He added that he has never been invited, questioned, or investigated regarding such allegations and has no connection to the individual cited in the media reports.

“There is no scintilla of truth in the allegation,” he said, urging the public to disregard the claims entirely and calling on media organizations to verify facts before publishing sensational stories.

Emefiele’s statement seeks to reaffirm his reputation and distances him from any activities undermining national security.

Ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Denies Allegations of Financing Terrorism

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Shettima Inaugurates Multi-Million Naira Juma’at Mosque in Gumel

Published

4 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Trends Admin

Shettima Inaugurates Multi-Million Naira Juma’at Mosque in Gumel

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday inaugurated the newly constructed multi-million-naira Juma’at Mosque located within the Emir of Gumel’s Palace in Jigawa State.

According to a statement by Zainab Rabo, Senior Special Assistant on Media Affairs to Governor Umar Namadi, the event drew high-level dignitaries, including top politicians, first-class emirs, captains of industry, and prominent Islamic scholars from across the country.

Rabo disclosed that the mosque was built by the Kashim Shettima Foundation, adding that Governor Umar A. Namadi and the Sultan of Sokoto graced the ceremony.

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During the occasion, the Vice President congratulated the Emir of Gumel, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Sani, on marking 45 years on the throne, describing the milestone as a blessing and testament to exemplary leadership.

Shettima also reaffirmed his commitment—through his foundation—to initiatives that would improve the lives of Nigerians.

The Vice President further commended Governor Namadi for his notable strides in modern agriculture, noting that Jigawa’s progress under his leadership had positioned the state competitively within Nigeria and beyond.

“Governor Namadi is equal to the task, looking at his two-year achievements and the way he transformed Jigawa in modern agriculture,” Shettima stated.

Shettima Inaugurates Multi-Million Naira Juma’at Mosque in Gumel

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Police Launch Special Enforcement Team to Enforce Tinubu’s Ban on VIP Escorts

Published

4 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Trends Admin

Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun

Police Launch Special Enforcement Team to Enforce Tinubu’s Ban on VIP Escorts

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has deployed a Special Enforcement Team in Lagos to enforce President Bola Tinubu’s directive ending the use of police officers as escorts and guards for Very Important Persons (VIPs).

The operation, according to a statement posted on the Force’s official X account on Saturday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, commenced at about 10:00 a.m. on December 6, 2025, across key locations in Lagos State.

Hundeyin confirmed that the team carried out compliance checks at major points, including the Lekki–Ikoyi Link Bridge, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport domestic terminal, and other strategic hotspots within the state.

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He disclosed that officers found “satisfactory and commendable” compliance with the presidential directive, with no incidents of unauthorised police escort and no arrests recorded.

“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, reiterates the Force’s commitment to the full implementation of the presidential directive,” the statement said. “The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in redeploying its personnel to core policing duties aimed at enhancing general security, crime prevention, and the protection of lives and property nationwide.”

Hundeyin added that enforcement would continue across the country “without fear or favour,” urging Nigerians to support the push for a more professional and citizen-focused policing system.

President Tinubu had, on November 23, ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers from VIP protection, directing that they be reassigned to frontline policing roles. According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, VIP protection will now be handled by armed operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The policy aims to free up police manpower for critical security operations, particularly in underserved communities, and enhance overall national security efficiency.