Release Nnamdi Kanu As Christmas Gift To S’East, HURIWA Urges Buhari – Newstrends
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Release Nnamdi Kanu As Christmas Gift To S’East, HURIWA Urges Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari

Civil rights advocacy group, Hu­man Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Sunday, tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to free the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, as a 2022 Christmas gift to the South-East geopolitical zone.

HURIWA’s National Coordina­tor, Comrade Emmanuel Onwu­biko, in a statement, challenged the president to be a man of his words by leaving the judiciary to decide on Kanu’s fate without any political interference or vendetta. The group asked Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Fed­eration and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to comply with the appellate court’s judge­ment of freeing Kanu from the Department of State Services (DSS) before Christmas.

HURIWA believes that the re­lease of Kanu would restore peace and stability to the South-East of Nigeria and restore economic growth of the zone. HURIWA expressed disappointment and consternation at the nonchalant attitudes of the governors of the South East of Nigeria towards mounting pressure on President Buhari to free Kanu from deten­tion.

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In May, Buhari, at a meeting with Ebonyi State Stakeholders’ Forum at the Government House in Abakaliki, said a political solu­tion to Kanu’s travails was impos­sible and insisted that only the court would decide his fate.

“I have listened carefully to the various appeals from the elders to the traditional leaders regarding a wide range of options and as I have said previously, this matter remains in the full purview of the court where it will be properly ad­judicated,” Buhari had promised.

However, about 18 months since his unwarranted detention at the DSS custody in Abuja, the IPOB leader has not tasted free­dom despite the judgement of the Appeal Court granting him freedom and awarding billions of naira as damages against the Federal Government for his ex­traordinary rendition from Ken­ya mid-2021.

At the moment, the major presidential candidates for the 2023 general elections including Labour Party’s Peter Obi, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party have opined that they would ex­plore dialogue to end secessionist agitations in the South-East and restore the economy of the Igbo people which has been marred with untold violence and activi­ties of unknown gunmen.

Commenting, HURIWA’s On­wubiko said, “As though a norm, all the major presidential can­didates for the 2023 presidential election have adopted negotiat­ed settlement to end agitations by IPOB and other secessionist groups like that of Yoruba Na­tion agitator, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho.

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Many killed as angry soldiers invade Bayelsa over colleagues’ killing in Delta

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Many killed as angry soldiers invade Bayelsa over colleagues’ killing in Delta

In the wake of the recent attack that claimed the lives of 16 soldiers and officers in Okuama Community, Delta State, Nigerian Army troops have reportedly launched a retaliatory invasion on Igbomotoru community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The soldiers, arriving in five gunboats, allegedly set fire to houses suspected to be the hideout of a militant leader believed to be involved in the earlier attack on the military personnel in Delta.

The tragic incident in Okuama resulted in the loss of an Army Commander, two majors, a captain, and 12 soldiers from the 181 Amphibious Battalion in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State. Following the directive of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, an immediate investigation was ordered to apprehend the perpetrators.

Residents of Okuama community had already fled to neighboring Ughelli in anticipation of potential reprisals by the military. Subsequently, houses were set ablaze in Okuama before the troops proceeded to invade the neighboring Bayelsa community.

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Reports from the area indicate that upon arrival, the soldiers opened fire on residents at the jetty before burning down three buildings suspected to be the hideout of the militant leader. The attack resulted in the loss of at least 11 lives, with efforts ongoing to locate other potential casualties.

The devastating military operation has left the community reeling, with significant loss of lives and property. Families are grappling with the abrupt disruption of planned events such as burials, facing additional financial burdens as a result.

Amidst this turmoil, appeals have been made to the Federal and State Governments, as well as the international community, to intervene urgently and restore peace to the affected communities.

Efforts to obtain official comments from the Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) headquarters were met with resistance, as the spokesperson, Major Adenegan Ojo, declined to respond to inquiries from journalists.

Many killed as angry soldiers invade Bayelsa over colleagues’ killing in Delta

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JUST IN: 4 feared killed as Arewa youths clash with police, union in Delta

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JUST IN: 4 feared killed as Arewa youths clash with police, union in Delta

On Monday, March 18, four people were feared dead after a battle between security officers and Northern youths protesting the Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Operators Association’s (COMTOA) alleged extortion.

The teenagers, organized by the Arewa Union in Asaba, attacked the office of the Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Operators Association (COMTOA) in Asaba, seeking a split from the state-controlled body.

It was alleged that the youngsters invaded several parts of the Asaba metropolis, leaving damage in its path, before heading to the office of COMTOA, on Summit Road, where they attacked members of the COMTOA Taskforce, damaging vehicles, office furniture, and making off with computers and other goods

Director General of COMTOA, Uchenna Okafor (aka Kosoko) said: “The Arewa Community are trying to form their own union so that they can avoid paying money to the State Government.

“Last week Saturday, we got information that they were about to set up a union that is different from the one the Delta State Government has inaugurated.

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“We called the SA on the Arewa Community and the Sarki of Asaba and they denied it. At about 3.00 pm that day, it was discovered that they had already inaugurated their own Arewa Task Force and that was how it started.

“They started attacking people paying for tickets through COMTOA, chasing the task force and ticket sellers but we were not deterred because the revenue is for the government.

“Yesterday, we were around GRA with the Police to enforce the law against the movement of Keke riders from 10.00 pm when we were attacked again and we eventually left the area.

“This morning, about 300 Arewa tricycle riders came to our office to attack us with cutlasses, guns, and other arms. They broke doors, windows, stole laptops, generators and phones. They also ran away with bikes”.

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Coordinator of the Arewa Community on Sales of Tickets, Hashima Abubakar, condemned the youths for violent protest and appealed to them to negotiate instead of perpetrating violence.

In a post on X formerly (Twitter), Edafe said: “They are policemen deployed to quell an ongoing protest against one of the State Taskforce in Asaba pls.”

In another post on X, he said: “There was a violent protest this morning by Okada riders who had an issue last night with the state task force that led to the death of two persons. They mobilized in their numbers this morning, destroying properties and beating people, hence our men were deployed to control the situation before it turns to something else.”

JUST IN: 4 feared killed as Arewa youths clash with police, union in Delta

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Rivers: Five to die by hanging, lethal injection for killing OSPAC commander

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Rivers: Five to die by hanging, lethal injection for killing OSPAC commander

In Rivers State, five persons indicted in the murder of one Umezuruike Alex have been sentenced to death.

They were convicted and sentenced on Monday on charges including conspiracy, cultism, murder and illegal possession of firearms by a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

Alex, prior to his murder, was Onelga Security Peace Advisory Committee, OSPAC, commander of Omudioga community in Emohua Local Government Area of the state.

OSPAC s a local vigilante group resident in some communities in different local government areas of Rivers State.

The convicts are Okechukwu Orji from Atali community in Obio-Akpor LGA, Igwe Promise, Iheanyi Igwe, Morrison Igwe, all from Omudioga in Emohua Local Government Area, and Goodness Monday from Akwa-Ibom State

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The trial Judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, acquitted the sixth defendant, Alex Deiwe.

The prosecution, led by Essein Edet, proved its case against the five convicts, Justice Aprioku affirmed.

Following the conviction, the judge sentenced the convicts to death by hanging, or, alternatively, administration of a lethal injection until confirmed dead.

The court disclosed that the convicted individuals not only murdered the OSPAC commander but were also involved in kidnapping and other criminal activities across the state prior to their arrest and prosecution.

The late Omudioga OSPAC commander, Alex, was brutally murdered and dismembered by cultists in 2021 for his efforts in combating criminal activities in the area

Rivers: Five to die by hanging, lethal injection for killing OSPAC commander

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