One person killed as IPOB sit-at-home order grounds economic activities in South-East - Newstrends
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One person killed as IPOB sit-at-home order grounds economic activities in South-East

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One person has been confirmed dead in Ebonyi State while trying to enforce the sit-at-home directive of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Human and commercial activities were grounded in virtually all the South-Eastern states on Monday as residents complied with the IPOB’s directive.

In Ebonyi, the police confirmed that an unidentified IPOB supporter was shot dead in Abakiliki, the state capital, while trying to get people to comply with the order.

The state police command spokesperson, Loveth Odah, also said that members of the group were intercepting motorcycles and harassing those seen outside their homes.

In Umuahia, the Abia capital, and adjoining villages, residents stayed back home, leaving the streets, especially the ever-busy city centre, known as Isigate, completely deserted.

Government offices, schools, banks, shops, business centres, markets, malls and plazas and petrol outlets remained closed.

Also, private and commercial vehicles kept off the roads, leaving the metropolis like a ghost town.

A cross-section of the residents expressed mixed feelings over the IPOB order.

While some said it was necessary to honour millions of lives lost during the Nigerian civil war, others said they complied to avoid being attacked by hoodlums or those monitoring compliance.

A commercial bus driver, Mr Kingsley Friday, said he decided to stay at home because of the prevailing security challenges in the state.

Friday said he did not want to be a victim of circumstance.

Also, a hairdresser at Ubakala, in the outskirts of Umuahia, Mrs Chidinma Ogbonna, said she wanted to go to her salon but could not because there were no vehicles on the road.

Ogbonna, who said she depended on the daily earnings from the shop to fend for her family, regretted that the sit-at-home would “short” her daily income.

A shop owner at the popular Isigate in Umuahia, Mr Geoffrey Ugochukwu, told NAN that traders were seriously warned beforehand not to open their shops on Monday.

“I deal in provisions and I normally leave home early, but today I have to stay home with my family because nothing is worth my life,” he said.

A tricycle operator, Mr Kelechi Kanu, said he went out early in the morning for business but was disappointed because there were no passengers on the road.

Kanu said he could not move freely on the roads, pointing out that most of the streets were blocked by boys playing street football.

Meanwhile, heavily armed policemen and soldiers were seen keeping surveillance in Umuahia metropolis and its environs, without molesting residents.

The situation is not different in Imo, where socio-economic activities were also at a standstill amidst heavy security presence in major cities and towns, including Owerri, the state capital.

Markets, roadside shops, malls and filling stations were not open, while suburbs near Owerri blocked all their entrances to ward off invasion by stranger elements.

Areas with heavy security presence include Akachi, Okigwe and Dick Tiger Roads, Imo State University Junction, Control Junction, Airport Junction, Obiangwu-Ngor Okpala and Amakohia- Akwakuma Flyover and the World Bank/Umuguma Junction.

NAN learnt that military helicopters were seen hovering around the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport as part of the security surveillance in the area.

Some residents, who spoke with NAN on the development, said they obeyed the order to be on the safe side.

A roadside trader, Mrs Ngozi Ukpabi, said: “I have not displayed my wares today. Infact my table is upside down so that I will not be labeled a saboteur.”

Another trader who live around Urata, a suburb of Owerri, said she could not display her wares for fear that IPOB members might be monitoring compliance in the area.

A tailor, Mr Francis Udoh, said he obeyed the order because he noticed that everyone around his shop complied.

Udoh also said that opening his shop for business might be an effort in futility, pointing out that clients might not readily come around out of fear.

Also, respondents from Ahiazu and Aboh Mbaise areas of the state, said that while there was no vehicular movement, helicopters were seen flying through the area periodically.

Respondents from Mbaise area of Imo said that Sunday’s shootout between the police and hoodlums caused uneasy calm in the area, hence people were afraid to come out on Saturday.

Chimezie Odom from Nnarambia in Ahiazu Mbaise told NAN in a telephone interview that businesses were shut in the area with no vehicular movement.

Charles Osuagwu from Aboh Mbaise said the streets were empty and quiet, adding that there was heavy presence of security operatives in the area.

However, a commuter-bus driver, Mr Ebuka Felix, expressed displeasure with the situation, saying he had lost the day’s income because of the order.

In Awka, the Anambra capital, residents also complied with the directive as hotels, restaurants snd markets in the city and surrounding villages remained closed.

Also, schools, government offices and banks did not open, in spite of the deployment of heavy security in the area.

NAN gathered that businesses in Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of Anambra, were completely shutdown.

A resident of the city, Mr Okey Ejide, told NAN in a telephone interview that there was no movement of persons and vehicles in the area.

 

Ejide said the popular Main Market, Onitsha, along with Ose, Ochanja, Relief and Bridgehead markets did not open for business.

“Even supermarkets, hair-dressing salons, mechanic workshops and roadside vulcanisers, amongst other artisans, also joined the sit-at-home order,” he said.

The people urged the Federal Government to address the alleged marginalisation of the southeast to give the zone a sense of belonging and ensure peace and security of lives and property.

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Kubwa Explosion: Vehicle Crashes Into Gas Outlet, Damages Nine Shops

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September 27, 2026

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Kubwa Explosion- Vehicle Crashes Into Gas Outlet, Damages Nine Shops

Kubwa Explosion: Vehicle Crashes Into Gas Outlet, Damages Nine Shops

Panic broke out in Kubwa, Abuja, on Sunday morning after a gas explosion rocked the Liberty Junction area, following a vehicle crash into a roadside gas retail outlet.

The incident occurred at about 6:15 a.m., sending a powerful blast through the area and causing nearby buildings to shake, while thick smoke and flames rose from the affected facility.

The vehicle reportedly veered off the road and crashed into the gas outlet, triggering the explosion and subsequent fire.

The impact affected several businesses around the junction, with reports indicating that nine shops were damaged or destroyed by the ensuing fire.

A nearby police traffic post was also reportedly uprooted by the force of the explosion, while other structures and sections of the surrounding area were damaged.

The vehicle involved in the crash was badly burnt in the incident. Emergency responders, however, reportedly rescued the driver and a child from the wreckage.

The injured driver was taken to a medical facility for treatment, while emergency personnel worked to prevent the fire from spreading to other shops and properties in the densely populated area.

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The explosion triggered panic among residents and commuters, with people reportedly rushing away from the scene as the fire continued to burn.

Emergency response agencies, including the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeria Police Force, were deployed to the scene.

Firefighters battled the flames for hours before the situation was brought under control.

The incident also caused significant traffic disruption around Liberty Junction and the Kubwa axis, as motorists slowed down and emergency responders worked at the scene.

Security personnel subsequently moved people away from the immediate area and helped manage traffic while the damaged vehicle and other debris were cleared.

Initial reports did not indicate a confirmed death from the explosion, although the driver was reported to have sustained injuries.

Authorities had yet to provide a detailed official account explaining why the vehicle veered off the road or confirming the full extent of the damage and injuries as of the time of reporting.

The incident has again drawn attention to safety concerns surrounding gas outlets located close to busy roads, shops and residential areas, particularly in densely populated parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

Further assessment by relevant authorities is expected to establish the precise circumstances of the crash, the extent of the property damage and whether any safety breaches contributed to the incident.

Kubwa Explosion: Vehicle Crashes Into Gas Outlet, Damages Nine Shops

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Newlywed Arrested After Allegedly Excreting 72 Cocaine Wraps at Enugu Airport

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September 27, 2026

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Newlywed Arrested After Allegedly Excreting 72 Cocaine Wraps at Enugu Airport
Lovely Chukwulobelu

Newlywed Arrested After Allegedly Excreting 72 Cocaine Wraps at Enugu Airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested a 53-year-old Nigerian passenger at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, after he allegedly ingested 72 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.253 kilogrammes.

The suspect, identified as Lovely Chukwulobelu, was arrested on December 3, 2021, during the outward screening of passengers travelling on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Enugu to Rome, Italy, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to the NDLEA, the suspect was detected during the airport’s screening process after operatives suspected that he had ingested drug pellets.

He was subsequently placed under observation, during which the 72 wraps of cocaine were recovered after he excreted them.

The total weight of the recovered cocaine was put at 1.253kg, according to the anti-narcotics agency.

During questioning, Charley allegedly told NDLEA officials that he was expected to receive €4,000 after successfully delivering the drugs in Italy.

The suspect reportedly told investigators that he had been living in Italy for more than 20 years and attributed his alleged involvement in the drug trade to the downturn in his business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The arrest formed part of a wider series of drug-trafficking interceptions reported by the NDLEA at Nigerian airports and other locations at the time.

At the same period, the agency reported the arrest of another Nigerian passenger, Uzoh Ndubuisi Johnson, who allegedly arrived at the Enugu airport from Brazil through Addis Ababa with 6.7kg of cocaine concealed in clothes.

The NDLEA also reported the arrest of John Kadja, a 25-year-old passenger of Ghanaian and Nigerian parentage, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with 2kg of methamphetamine allegedly concealed in the false bottom of his luggage.

The agency said the arrests demonstrated the methods being used by suspected drug traffickers to move illicit substances through Nigeria’s international airports.

The then Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the interceptions and urged them to remain vigilant in efforts to prevent the trafficking of illicit drugs.

The agency has continued to deploy passenger profiling, luggage searches, body scanning and other screening measures at international airports to detect attempts to move cocaine and other illicit drugs across Nigeria’s borders.

The Enugu case also illustrates one of the methods used by suspected traffickers, in which drug pellets are allegedly swallowed before a passenger boards a flight and later recovered under controlled observation.

The allegation against Charley was made by the NDLEA, and the reported arrest and drug recovery do not by themselves constitute a conviction. Any criminal liability would ultimately be determined through the appropriate judicial process.

Newlywed Arrested After Allegedly Excreting 72 Cocaine Wraps at Enugu Airport

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Bauchi Police Arrest Four Over Alleged Gun-Making, Rape

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September 27, 2026

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Bauchi Police Arrest Four Over Alleged Gun-Making, Rape
Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu

Bauchi Police Arrest Four Over Alleged Gun-Making, Rape

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested four suspects in two separate cases involving alleged illegal firearm possession and fabrication and the alleged rape of a 50-year-old woman in the state.

The arrests involved three suspects in Misau Local Government Area, who were allegedly linked to the fabrication and possession of locally made firearms, and a 26-year-old man arrested in Gamawa Local Government Area over an alleged sexual offence.

In the firearm case, police operatives attached to the Misau Division reportedly intercepted Abubakar Ahmad, 30, also known as Tino, on September 25, 2026, while on duty at Chief Magistrate Court 1, Misau.

According to the police, Ahmad was found in possession of a locally fabricated pistol loaded with a live cartridge and was allegedly attempting to hand the weapon over to Tijjani Yakubu, 35, of the same address.

Yakubu was already being held at a correctional centre over allegations of criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property, police said.

During preliminary investigation, Yakubu allegedly admitted ownership of the firearm and told investigators that he had given it to Ahmad for safekeeping.

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He also allegedly identified Bappah Kawu, 48, a welder from Tashar Masu in Misau, as the person who supplied the weapon.

Police subsequently arrested Kawu, who allegedly admitted that he fabricated and sold the pistol to Yakubu for ₦30,000.

A search of Kawu’s workshop reportedly led to the recovery of two locally made Dane guns and tools allegedly used for firearm fabrication, including a hacksaw, files and long iron pipes.

The three suspects were taken into custody, while the firearm case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Bauchi, for further investigation.

In a separate incident in Gamawa Local Government Area, police arrested Lukman Alhaji Nasiru, 26, of Garin Malam Village over the alleged rape of a 50-year-old woman.

Police said the alleged incident occurred on September 22, 2026, at about 12:15 p.m., when Nasiru allegedly lured the woman to an isolated area on the outskirts of Garin Malam.

The police alleged that the suspect had unlawful sexual intercourse with the woman.

The woman’s 40-year-old younger brother, who resides in Gauya Village in Jakusko Local Government Area of Yobe State, reportedly lodged a complaint at the Gamawa Divisional Police Headquarters on September 25.

Following the complaint, police arrested Nasiru and took both the suspect and the woman to General Hospital, Gamawa, for medical examination as investigations continued.

Police did not disclose further details of the medical examination.

The Bauchi Police Command said the separate investigations were ongoing, while Commissioner of Police Sani-Omolori Aliyu reiterated the command’s position against illegal firearms and sexual offences.

The commissioner also urged members of the public to provide timely and credible information to the police to assist investigations and prevent criminal activities.

The latest arrests form part of the command’s broader operations against crime in Bauchi State. The command had earlier reported the arrest of 29 suspects in September over various offences, including kidnapping, armed robbery, sexual assault, drug-related offences, vandalism and theft.

The allegations against the four suspects have not been established in court, and investigations into the cases are continuing.

Bauchi Police Arrest Four Over Alleged Gun-Making, Rape

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