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S’East govs set for showdown with IPOB over two-week sit-at-home order
S’East govs set for showdown with IPOB over two-week sit-at-home order
The two-week sit-at-home order declared in the South-East by a factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Simon Ekpa, is unsettling political leaders in the area.
The leaders including state governors have however resolved to tackle the problem frontally.
Indeed, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo state governments have vowed not to allow non-state actors to continue disrupting governance in the South-East.
They said the two-week sit-at-home order would not be observed and warned the IPOB factional group not to dare the powers of the government.
The Simon Ekpa group had said the two-week sit-at-home in the region would happen from July 31 to August 14.
Ekpa on Tuesday specifically declared that the sit-at-home would take place in the following order: Monday, July 31, 2023 to Friday, August 4, 2023, there will be total lockdown in Biafraland;
He said, “Saturday, August 5, 2023 and Sunday, August 6, 2023, all Biafran markets will open respectively.
“Monday, August 7, 2023 to Friday, August 11, 2023, there will be total lockdown in Biafraland; Saturday, August 12, 2023 and Sunday, August 13, 2023 (Break), all Biafran markets will open; Monday, August 14, 2023, there will be lockdown in Biafraland.
“We hereby call on all market leaders to strictly adhere to this order and treat it with utmost seriousness.”
But responding, Anambra government said it would never yield to non-state actors.
The state government, through the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Christian Aburime, said Ekpa was a fugitive who should be completely ignored.
Aburime said, “Anambra State under the leadership of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo will never yield to non-state actors on this illegal sit-at-home order.
“Simon Ekpa is a fugitive and rabble-rouser who should be completely ignored by the citizens of Anambra and by extension, the entire South-East.”
“Our markets, schools, businesses, and other social activities will remain open. Anambra State will never be a breeding ground for anarchy, fear, or lawlessness,” he added.
Enugu State government also described Simon Ekpa as a villain, a criminal, stressing that nobody would obey him in the state and that the illegal sit-at-home had ended in Enugu.
In his reaction, Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State declared that there is nothing like sit- at- home in the state.
The governor stated this while fielding questions from journalists shortly after participating in a meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo with governors , house of assembly speakers, National Assembly members and other leaders from the South East zone at Imo State Governor’s Lodge Asokoro, Abuja.
Governor Nwifuru said what played out a week ago in Ebonyi State was a case of miscreants who attempted to put fear in residents and disrupt businesses.
“I am surprised to hear sit-at-home from you because there is nothing like sit- at-home in Ebonyi. We never for one day observed sit-at-home and I know you are aware.
“Some people only wanted to know if they can start putting tension in people and we said no; they don’t have such powers; they can’t do that and it didn’t happen.”
A former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, has called on the governors of the South East region to ensure that the people are not overpowered by miscreants enforcing sit-at-home orders.
Nwodo who was former Governor of Enugu State said that Simon Ekpa, who continues to declare sit-at-home orders in South East is endangering the lives and properties of the people of the region.
He said there are other ways of putting pressure on the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu, other than the frequent sit-at-home orders.
“Does Simon Ekpa know that some people in South East Nigeria are in hospitals and that medical personnel need to attend to their health needs? He is strangulating our economy by declaring frequent sit-at-home orders.
“I always say that there are other ways to put pressure on the Federal Government to obey court orders and release Nnamdi Kanu. The Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanyu, the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and other stakeholders from South East continue to appeal to the conscience of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, to release Kanu, so that peace can return to South East.
“There are other ways that do not constitute a danger to the lives and economy of residents and people of South East than what Ekpa is doing. Can he declare sit-at-home in any part of Finland where he is currently residing?”
“We must equally put pressure on Governors of South East and the security agencies to guarantee the security of lives and properties of the residents of South East region, ” he said.
S’East govs set for showdown with IPOB over two-week sit-at-home order
metro
Soldier dies while ‘rushing to rescue brother arrested by policemen’
A soldier of the Nigerian Army, Lcpl Ojo Tope has died in an accident in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State.
According to a report by SaharaReporters, multiple sources said the deceased attached to the 322 Artillery regiment in Benin City was on his way to meet policemen who had allegedly arrested his brother illegally.
The incident occurred around 10 pm on Wednesday.
The policemen attached to Ikere Area Command had reportedly illegally detained Ojo’s brother and after talking to him on the phone, Ojo was asked to come to their checkpoint and identify himself as a soldier.
SaharaReporters learnt that on his way to the checkpoint, Ojo was involved in an accident.
A relative of the deceased told the online newspaper that : “A soldier (Ojo Tope) serving in Benin City came home on a pass in Ikere Ekiti. Around 10 pm on Wednesday, he realised there was no fuel in their generator. So, he sent his younger brother who has a car to get fuel for him.
“However, on his way to get the fuel, the guy met some policemen on the road and they arrested him illegally. They asked him why he was driving at that time and asked him to unlock his phone as well but he refused.
“He pleaded with them that it was his soldier brother who sent him to buy fuel but they refused to let him go. So, he later called the soldier to talk to the policemen and one of them asked him to come and meet them. Sadly, on his way there on a bike, he had an accident.
“After the accident, people rushed him down to where the policemen seized the brother’s car and they pleaded with them to release the car so they could use it to rescue the soldier to the state hospital in Ikere but they refused to release the vehicle.
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“They later got another one to carry the soldier to the hospital. Unfortunately, before they would get to the hospital, the soldier gave up. His body is now in the morgue.”
The family source said some residents who heard about Ojo’s death got angry and wanted to protest against the actions of the policemen but the family calmed them down.
When SaharaReporters contacted the spokesperson for Ekiti State Police Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, denied the role allegedly played by the policemen in the death of Ojo.
He said, “This could be termed ‘a lie from the pit of hell’ as no such incident or report was made in any of our stations across the state, not even the headquarters.
“The only vehicle that was confiscated by our surveillance team from Ikere Area Command on Wednesday night was an unregistered Toyota Camry 2006 model car. The driver had no document and could not give satisfactory proof that the vehicle belonged to him, but then offered to go home and get the documents.
“Up till this moment, the driver did not bring the car documents or come for his vehicle. It should be noted that our surveillance teams do not have or create checkpoints.
“No soldier’s death was reported by anybody or family or the military authority in the state in Ikere Area Command or any of our divisions or formations across the state in recent time and nobody has come to solicit for the release of the said Toyota Camry car.”
“Meanwhile, anyone with any genuine complaint against the conduct of our men should feel free to approach the nearest police station, formation, office of the PPRO or office of the Commissioner of Police for necessary and immediate action,” Abutu added.
Soldier dies while ‘rushing to rescue brother arrested by policemen’
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Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many
Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many
Rampaging bandits operating in North-West Nigeria have attacked Maradun town, the headquarters of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara, killing one person and kidnapping several others.
Maradun is the hometown of Bello Matawalle, the former governor of the state and present Minister of State for Defence in the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.
Although, police authorities in the state are yet to comment on the latest incident an indigene of the town Nura Maradun told Channels Television that the bandits stormed the town around 1 am on Friday with sophisticated weapons.
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He said they fired indiscriminately to scare residents. According to him, the bandits went from house to house to abduct residents of the town.
“They came in around 1 am and operated till 4 am unchallenged. They went on to search house by house looking for people to be kidnapped,” he said.
“From what I can confirm to you now, one person was killed, and about eight persons most women have been taken away. Some of the women kidnapped are daughters of the Emir’s brother.”
Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many
metro
Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra
Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra
The Anambra command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), says it has arrested eight suspected unlicensed private security guards with four pump action guns.
During the parade of the suspects in Awka, the state capital on Thursday, Olatunde Maku, the NSCDC state commandant, said the arrest was made in response to intelligence reports.
Maku added that the suspects are currently undergoing investigation, after which they would be charged to court and prosecuted.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that some of the suspects were impersonating the Anambra Vigilance Group while others were hired by hotels to provide security services, in spite of knowing that the outfits were not licensed or registered,” NAN quoted the NSCDC commandant as saying.
“Meanwhile, four pump action guns with 16 live cartridges were also recovered from them.
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“All the suspects are currently undergoing investigation, after which they would be charged to court and prosecuted.
“This raid is in continuation of the execution of the NSCDC mandate and we will not leave any stone unturned in discharging our responsibilities.
Maku said that the NSCDC is the only agency responsible for licensing, monitoring, and supervising private securities companies in Nigeria, and the raid aims to prevent illegal security outfit proliferation.
The commandant urged licensed private guard companies to adhere to the law and report any suspicious activities or security outfits to the Corps for prompt action.
“I want to put all illegal security outfits on notice to dismantle their operations or face the consequences.
“We will clamp down on any illegal outfit, arrest and prosecute their operators, and recover illegal weapons in their possession.
“This is to restore sanity in the operations of the private security sector and ensure the safety and security of residents.”
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