NIGERIAN NOTCH

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has described the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, as a fine officer, who gave his all for the territorial security and unity of the country. Akpabio said he received the news of the death of the late military chief with shock, few days after he had spoken with the president and was upbeat about his return to office. A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio saying, "I received the news of the death of the late Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, with shock. His death, coming at a time the country needed his wealth of experience in tackling and bringing to an end insecurity in some parts of the country, is a huge loss to the country and the security community. " He was a fine, committed and dedicated officer, who served the country with all his might, even at the risk of paying the supreme price. " On behalf of my family, the people of Akwa Ibom North West Se...

RAYMOND OZOJI,  Awka  Barely 48 hours of apprehending one of a 4-man kidnap gang who abducted a building engineer at Nimo in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State on Saturday 2nd November, 2024, the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) has arrested another member of same gang who kidnapped the building engineer.  A video evidence of the arrested kidnap suspect showed that the Ebonyi state born daredevil hoodlum confessed to the crime and has been handed over to the police for further investigations.  Meanwhile the Southeast Zonal Commander of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) ACG Mark Okem Okonkwo, said they received intelligence that one of the kidnappers who eloped while NHFSS officers were trying to rescue the building engineer under their hostage in a forest at Nimo, had returned and they swooped on him Monday 4th November, 2024 being the usual sit-at-home day.  Okonkwo said that the first gang memb...

Rights group, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC on Tuesday expressed worry over what it described as the contrasting statements from Nigeria's Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, regarding the malnourished children who collapsed in court.  Recall that while being arraigned on November 1 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, some of the minors arrested and being arraigned for participating during the August 1 #EndBadGovernance protests had collapsed in court. In their initial reaction to the outrage that greeted the sordid sight of malnourished children fainting in Court during their arraignment on November 1, 2024 for alleged treason, the Nigeria Police through a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, labeled the collapse of the minors as a 'scripted' act intended to sway public opinion.  The police said it was an act orchestrated to create a negative impression in the public, defending the legal pr...

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) has issued a public notice announcing a general system collapse. The collapse occurred at 13:52 hours on November 5, 2024, resulting in a loss of power supply across the EEDC network. Emeka Ezeh,Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC in a press statement said that the widespread Impact of the outage has affected customers in four states: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo. All interface Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) stations are currently out of supply, rendering EEDC unable to provide services to its customers in these areas. The Restoration Efforts of EEDC is working closely with the National Control Centre (NCC) in Osogbo to restore power supply, the company said. The company is awaiting detailed information about the collapse and restoration timeline from the NCC. The EEDC however apologizes for the inconvenience caused by the power outage and appreciates customers' patience. Further updates will be provided as...

Anambra State Government has been told to intensify efforts at attracting private investors to operationalize the Onitsha River Port, as a means of opening new streams of revenue for the state. A former banker from Igboukwu, Anambra State, Chief Eusebius Onyemelukwe made the call while speaking to newsmen on the state of the economy of Anambra State. Statistics released by an investment platform, show that the Onitsha River Port has the potential to generate over N23 billion to the government. Although efforts had started by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to make the port functional in recent times, the port is yet the efforts have not materialized. According to Chief Onyemelukwe, although Anambra State has very huge inland waterway resources, successive governments have not been able to harness the potential to make the state known in the maritime industry in Nigeria. He revealed that if vessels start offloading containers at the River Port at Onitsha, it w...

RAYMOND OZOJI, Awka The joint operation of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) and the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (Ochabrigade) yielded positive results as both security agencies rescued a kidnapped victim at Nimo Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State on Saturday 2nd November, 2024.  Report of the rescue operation as released by the Southeast Zonal Commander of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) ACG Mark Okem Okonkwo has it that while the catholic church parishes in Nimo community were praying for the souls of their departed ones, kidnappers took the advantage to kidnap one building engineer Chukwunonso Nzekwe (m) of Attani Achi in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State of Nigeria based in Asaba Delta State. The report has it that he was taken to Agu Urukwelora village in Egbengwu Ojideleke Nimo and the eagle eyes of NHFSS intelligence officer in the village saw them in the bush, informed A...

The zonal chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southeast, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, has strongly criticized the organizers of the recent EndBadGovernance protests, accusing them of deliberately misleading supporters and then abandoning them to face consequences alone. Speaking to journalists in Enugu yesterday, Dr. Arodiogbu described the protest organizers' actions as "the height of irresponsibility and political deception," noting that many supporters now languish in detention while the conveners seek public sympathy. "What we are witnessing is the unmasking of a sinister agenda," Dr. Arodiogbu declared. "These so-called activists mobilized innocent citizens under the guise of promoting good governance, but their real intention was to create chaos and make Nigeria ungovernable." The APC chairman revealed that intelligence reports indicate the protests were orchestrated to destabilize the current administration. "The or...

...as APC Southeast calls for intervention   By Uchenna Ezeadigwe  In response to recent inquiries regarding the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor, the Office of the Registrar at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has issued a comprehensive clarification detailing the selection process and addressing concerns raised by various stakeholders. *  In a letter dated November 1, 2024, addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, the university's administration provided a detailed account of the proceedings surrounding the appointment of the new Vice-Chancellor. The document, signed by Barr. (Mrs.) R. I. Nwokoike, Registrar and Secretary to the Council, addressed three key aspects of the appointment process. First, the letter clarified the nature of interactions with the Minister of State for Education. Contrary to some assumptions, there was no formal meeting between the Pro-Chancellor and the Minister. Instead, informal discu...

The Public Private Development Center (PPDC), a leading Nigerian NGO, has paid a courtesy visit to the Nnewi Ancient kingdom. This happened today November 2, 2024, at the palace of Igwe Orizu, marking a significant step towards fostering active citizen participation in Nnewi, Anambra State.  While receiving the  delegation in Nnewi, the Crown Prince of  Nnewi, Barr Obianaefo Orizu, commended the organization for such a proactive and people oriented program and project. But asked them to "show working" In his words, "We have been hearing of this for a very long time, what we need now is action. Not just bringing people together just to make noise." Prince Obianaefo Orizu further expressed gratitude for PPDC's visit and praised their choice of Nnewi as the 1st pilot phase location. He pledged to work closely with the organization to achieve it's desired outcomes, demonstrating the community's enthusiasm for collaborative progress. H...

In a significant move to secure educational institutions across Nigeria, the Nigeria Police Force has hosted a stakeholders forum on school security in Awka, Anambra State. The event, which was held at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, brought together dignitaries, security officials, and community members to address pressing concerns over school safety. The forum led by Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 13, AIG Godwin Aghaulor focused  on "Strengthening Security Resilience and Integration of Host Communities in the Protection of Education." This initiative underscores the commitment of both the government and the Nigeria Police Force to prioritize school security, creating a safe and conducive environment for learning. AIG Aghaulor emphasized the establishment of the Schools Protection Squad (SPS) as part of ongoing efforts to enhance school security. He praised Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, for his dedication to school...