METRO
Anambra State Government has reduced ongoing curfew in Awka South Local Government Area.
In a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Solo Chukwulobelu, a review of the current COVID-19 situation necessitated the relaxation of the curfew.
“The curfew which has been in place in Awka South Local Government Area following the reported increase in COVID-19 cases in the council area has been reviewed and reduced by the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano.. The curfew will now run from 10pm to 4am as against 8pm to 6am daily. This is in line with the federal government of Nigeria national curfew order”. The SSG stated.
Continuing, Professor Chukwulobelu said, “The police and other security agencies should please take note of the review and restrict movement in Awka South local government and in other local government areas in Anambra State only during the curfew time”.
He also charged residents in the state to continue to obey COVID-19 safety directives including wearing of protective face masks, regular washing of hands for 20 seconds each time, use of hand sanitizers and maintenance of social distancing.
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to, on July 10, present its remaining witnesses in the trial of social media personality, Ismaila Mustapha.
Justice Mohammed Liman gave the directive following the EFCC’s prayer for an adjournment.
Mompha’s counsel, Mr. Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), had informed the court that an adjournment was “unwarranted”, as the agency had previously promised to field all its witness yesterday.
He and his firm, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd, were on March 4, 2020 re-arraigned before Justice Liman on 22 counts.
EFCC Reacts To Allegations That Mompha Bribed His Way Out Of Custody(Opens in a new browser tab)
The Commission alleged that Mompha is a major figure in an organized transnational cyber fraud network, adding that he used Ismalob Investment to launder the funds, part of which he used in acquiring properties in Dubai.
Mompha pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Led by EFCC counsel Mr. S. I. Suleiman, Mr. Abiodun Audu, an accountant, testifying for the prosecution, said he never met Mompha in the course of filing Ismalob Global Investment Ltd’s tax return.
He told the judge that it was one Alhaji Hamodu, a director in Mompha’s firm, that contacted him to file the tax returns for the company.
Hamodu, he said, required him to input July 2016 to June 2017, in the tax return to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The Lagos Police Command on Wednesday announced the arrest of about 400 crime suspects, among whom were 97 armed robbers, kidnappers, rapists and murderers.
The arrests were made in one month, commissioner of police Hakeem Odumosu said yesterday while parading the suspects.
Twenty-eight persons were arrested for domestic violence and nine suspects whose alleged specialty was defrauding people with fake US dollars.
The suspected fraudsters, according to the police, were arrested with their so-called black boxes and operational vehicles, just as six stolen vehicles, 19 assorted firearms with a cache of ammunition, cutlasses, axes, and other dangerous weapons, including fetish objects were recovered from various suspects.
Mr. Odumosu gave the statistics at the command headquarters in Ikeja while parading some of the suspects arrested within the period.
He disclosed that a suspected armed robber was killed by operatives, 28 armed robbery attempts were foiled, six suicide cases recorded and four people stopped from killing themselves.
He said operatives intercepted N150 million worth illicit substances including 328 bags of dry leaves suspected to be Marijuana.
Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Wednesday sentenced two armed robbers to death by hanging.
Justice Aminat Ishiaq found Adeyemi Aderinkomi and Timothy Ajayi guilty of conspiracy, culpable homicide and armed robbery.
The two men were said to have killed Mr. and Mrs. Michael Aigbe of Fate area, Ilorin in December 2016, by tying them up with ropes and dumping them inside a well alive, and then locked the well to prevent their rescue.
The judgment revealed that the convicts made away with the victims’ car, money, clothes and many other valuable items after killing them.
The prosecutor Ishola Olofere hailed the judgment, saying it will serve as a deterrent to such other criminals in the state.
One of the convicts, Ajayi, who said he is a teacher, had disclosed that he became an armed robber because of financial problems.
Man Arrested For Stealing Security Dog Guarding The House He Robbed(Opens in a new browser tab)
“I regret it. I have only tried to dupe one person, but I was not successful. I am a teacher.”
The other convict, Adeyemi said the couple did not offend them, adding that they robbed the family after they were informed that the couple had important documents in their possession.
An Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on Wednesday remanded six armed robbery suspects at a Nigeria Correctional Services center pending advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Mrs. Abimbola Komolafe made the order following a July 1, 2020 application and a temporary two-count charge of armed robbery and robbery filed against the men by the police.
The suspects are Jamiu Babangida, 27; Suleimon Lateef, 22; Umar Mohammed, 25; Nasiru Sanni, 23; Sodiq Mohammed, 24; and Rabiu Adam, 20.
Prosecuting Inspector Olatunde Kehinde, who moved the application, told the court that the defendants and others at large committed the alleged offenses on June 16, 2020.
He said the robbery occurred on Odusanwo Street, Idi-Araba, Surulere, at about 8 pm.
Kehinde alleged that the defendants while armed with a cutlass and knife, robbed one Stephen Victor of the sum of N10,000.
Gov Obiano Lauds Buhari’s Appointment Of Ewelukwa
Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Dr Nnaemeka Ewelukwa the chief executive of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading PLC (NBET), popularly known as the Bulk Trader.
In a release signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, the governor observed that the president couldn’t have appointed a more qualified, competent and reform-minded technocrat for the job”.
The Minister of Power, Engineer Saleh Mamman, announced two weeks ago President Buhari’s approval of Dr Ewelukwa as replacement for Dr Marylyn Amobi, also from Anambra State, whose five year tenure will end on July 24.
According to the governor,“It is self-evident that the president recognises the critical role of the NBET in the electricity value chain in Nigeria and so went for the best to help move the entire power sector in a different direction”.
Governor Obiano observed that the new NBET CEO played a key role on the team which identified serious legal, regulatory and policy constraints to the development of Nigeria’s electricity and suggested ways to overcome the challenges.
“Due to the exceedingly impressive work done by such outstanding technocrats as Professor Nnaji and Dr Ewelukwa, the British and American governments, among others, assisted Nigeria to develop the critical power infrastructure”, noted the governor who also recalled how such global firms as General Electric of the United States, Siemens of Germany and Daewoo Heavy Industries of South Korea took an unprecedented interest in the country’s power sector.
Obiano described Ewelukwa as “infectiously humble and principled, a team player and farsighted leader with a good international exposure, key leadership requirements in today’s globalized world”, adding that he is confident that Dr Ewelukwa would bring glory to Nigeria the way a number of Anambra indigenes given critical national assignments discharged their duties.
“The whole nation remembers with nostalgia the fantastic work done since the restoration of democracy by such sons and daughters of Anambra State like Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo as the Central Bank governor, Professor Dora Akunyili as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) Director General; Engineer Ernest Ndukwe as the CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Mrs Oby Ezekwesili as head of the Due Process Office before becoming the Minister of Solid Minerals and later Minister of Education; as well as Engineer Emeka Eze as the Bureau for Public Procurement Director General”.
Dr Ewelukwa, the NBET general counsel, until his appointment, has been involved in Nigeria’s power sector reform for at least 10 years, having worked at the Presidential Task Force on Power (PTFP), headed by Professor Bart Nnaji before he was appointed the Minister of Power in July, 2011, and led the greatest revamping of Nigeria’s perennially problematic power sector.
As the pioneer NBET general counsel and secretary, he led the team which negotiated with independent power producers on power purchase agreements (PPAs) and thus enabled huge investments from the private sector into Nigeria’s electricity generation business.
Imo Pensioners Demand Their Full Pay Before July 7, Threatens To Occupy Govt House
Pensioners in Imo State staged a protest demanding that the State Government led by Governor Hope Uzodimma pay them their pensions.
The senior citizens who as usual blocked major roads in the state capital Owerri on Tuesday, taunted the governor for allegedly lying to them through the Secretary to the State Government, Cosmas Iwu.
Iwu had allegedly promised the protesting pensioners last week Tuesday that they would receive their payments last Friday, 27th June, but the promise did not materialize.
The pensioners who accused the governor of playing politics with their welfare, passed a vote of no confidence on the administration and vowed to occupy the Government House by next week Tuesday if the Government fails to pay them.
They accused Uzodimma and the State government officials of snubbing them, saying that they have reported the governor to God for betraying the trust they reposed in him.
“Somebody that we trusted and gave our loyalty believing he will take care of us but he continued to look elsewhere.
“We are here to stop Hope Uzodimma’s government from owing us. He must pay us our money. Next week, we will come here to play our script”. They warned.
However, a top government official denied snubbing the pensioners, saying the delay in the payment was as a result of the absence of the governor who according to him was away in Abuja for an important assignment that will benefit the state.
He urged the pensioners to show restraint and understanding as all their entitlements will soon be paid.
*Imo Lawmaker Opiah Commences Action To Revamp Imo Oil sector.*
The Imo State Coordinator of Petroleum, Oil and Gas, Rt. Hon. Goodluck Nanah Opiah has commenced actions to ensure development in the oil sector of the state.
Opiah marking his first maiden outing, in Owerri met with stakeholders of Awarra Court Area of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state to obtain the situation of things in the communities as part of the oil producing area in the state.
The traditional rulers with their prime ministers, president-generals of Town Unions, women leaders, youth leaders and other principal officers from the four autonomous communities; Ochia, Obile, Assa and Awarra, including the Secretary for Bureau Oil and Gas, Mrs Chioma Njoku, among others, were all present in the deliberations.
Beginning, they reviewed the activities of the oil companies in the area, especially that of Walter Smith, Shell and Seplat companies in other to access their relationship with the host communities and the level of development they had attracted there.
They also agreed to review the old Memorandum of Understanding, MOU in anticipation of creating a new one between the communities and the oil companies.
On the way forward, the stakeholders in the communities were informed to present before the commission a list of the projects executed by the oil companies in the communities and make available the administrative framework within their communities with which they regulate with the oil companies.
In his address, Opiah stated that it was part of their programme to consult with oil producing areas and oil servicing companies with the intention of identifying and handling their challenges in other to enhance development in the sector and the communities.
The former speaker added that their mission most essentially is also to increase the quantum of oil produced in the state to a level it should be, saying that it was unbelievable that the state has ten oil companies but cannot boost of a 100,000 barrels of oil per day.
” We want to get to the root of the matter and Governor Hope Uzodimma is interested in seeing that the state develops to the level of a major oil producing state with evidence of growth to show for it,” he stated.
The former House representative, enjoined imolites to be patient with the governor, give him peace and time to work for the state as according to him, the governor is prepared to ‘resuscitate the near moribund ISOPADEC’ and make Imo be proud of being an oil producing state.
While speaking to newsmen, one of the community leaders, Hon. Ken Ekwueme, who commended the wealth of Knowledge of the oil coordinator, adding that his decision to meet with them was a right step in the right direction.
Ekwueme averred that he believes the commission is in the right hands and that soon, the narratives would begin to change for good in the sector.
Imo Lawmaker Opiah Commences Action To Revamp Imo Oil sector
The Imo State Coordinator of Petroleum, Oil and Gas, Rt. Hon. Goodluck Nanah Opiah has commenced actions to ensure development in the oil sector of the state.
Opiah marking his first maiden outing, in Owerri met with stakeholders of Awarra Court Area of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state to obtain the situation of things in the communities as part of the oil producing area in the state.
The traditional rulers with their prime ministers, president-generals of Town Unions, women leaders, youth leaders and other principal officers from the four autonomous communities; Ochia, Obile, Assa and Awarra, including the Secretary for Bureau Oil and Gas, Mrs Chioma Njoku, among others, were all present in the deliberations.
Beginning, they reviewed the activities of the oil companies in the area, especially that of Walter Smith, Shell and Seplat companies in other to access their relationship with the host communities and the level of development they had attracted there.
They also agreed to review the old Memorandum of Understanding, MOU in anticipation of creating a new one between the communities and the oil companies.
On the way forward, the stakeholders in the communities were informed to present before the commission a list of the projects executed by the oil companies in the communities and make available the administrative framework within their communities with which they regulate with the oil companies.
In his address, Opiah stated that it was part of their programme to consult with oil producing areas and oil servicing companies with the intention of identifying and handling their challenges in other to enhance development in the sector and the communities.
The former speaker added that their mission most essentially is also to increase the quantum of oil produced in the state to a level it should be, saying that it was unbelievable that the state has ten oil companies but cannot boost of a 100,000 barrels of oil per day.
” We want to get to the root of the matter and Governor Hope Uzodimma is interested in seeing that the state develops to the level of a major oil producing state with evidence of growth to show for it,” he stated.
The former House representative, enjoined imolites to be patient with the governor, give him peace and time to work for the state as according to him, the governor is prepared to ‘resuscitate the near moribund ISOPADEC’ and make Imo be proud of being an oil producing state.
While speaking to newsmen, one of the community leaders, Hon. Ken Ekwueme, who commended the wealth of Knowledge of the oil coordinator, adding that his decision to meet with them was a right step in the right direction.
Ekwueme averred that he believes the commission is in the right hands and that soon, the narratives would begin to change for good in the sector.
Police Commence Investigation Into Murder Of Woman In Enugu
The Enugu state police Command says it has commenced full scale investigation into the alleged gruesome murder of a 67 years old man, Mr. Iloabani Eugene Anayo, of Amamkpunato Achi, at Oji-River council Area of the state, by people who are yet to be identified.
A statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Enugu by the state police public Relations officer PPRO, Daniel Ndukwe Ekea, said “following a report received at Oji-River Police Station of the Command on 30/06/2020 at about 0800hrs alleging that one Iloabani Eugene Anayo (male) aged 67 years of Amamkpunato Achi, Oji-River was gruesomely murdered by a yet to be identified culprits in a forest in the community, the state Commissioner of Police, (CP) Ahmad AbdurRahman has directed the immediate launch of a full-scale investigation to apprehend and prosecute the fleeing culprits.
“The Commissioner, while condemning such hideous and barbaric act, has warned and directed the Area Commander and Divisional Police Officers within Oji-River Area Command as well as Heads of Tactical and Operational Departments of the Command to deploy all resources at their disposal to fish out and prosecute the culprits.
“Furthermore, the CP has enjoined residents of the area, especially the youths; to maintain peace, avoid taking laws into their hands and/or acting in ways that could jeopardize investigation into the case. He made it clear that the Command, under his watch, will leave no stone unturned to bring culprits of the heinous crime to book.
The statement added: “Meanwhile, preliminary investigation shows that the deceased was found in Achi forest with several degrees of machete cuts on the head and neck regions, while the corpse has been deposited in the mortuary with investigation ongoing.
“To this end, residents of the State have been enjoined to remain law-abiding and assist the Police with credible information that will lead to the arrest of the culprits by reporting to the nearest Police Station.
Coronavirus: Anambra Begins Contact Tracing At NAUTH Over Provost’s Death
Anambra State government has begun contact tracing at the College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi, following the death of its provost, Prof. Onochie Udemezue, of Coronavirus complications.
A memo obtained by Anaedoonline.com on Wednesday from the state government said workers at the administration department, where the late professor’s wife was working, are on self-isolation already, following the discovery that Udemezue died of coronavirus.
The government blamed the late professor for being the architect of his death for resorting to self-medication in treating the coronavirus.
Nnewi: Controversy Trails the Death of Unizik College Of Health Sciences Provost
The late provost died about a week ago of diabetes and coronavirus-related complications.
The memo to Governor Willie Obiano by a senior government official, who wished not to be mentioned, was titled: “Undisclosed facts about how Prof. Udemezue, Provost of Nnamdi Azikiwe College of Health Sciences, died of COVID-19”.
The Provost of College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Professor Okwudili O. Udemezue, is suspected to have died of coronavirus.
Anaedonline.com reliably gathered that Prof. Udemezu died at the Isolation Center of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi.
Prof. Udemezu who died this morning was said to have been down of coronavirus close to a week now.
When contacted, the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Dr. Joe Ugboaja, confirmed that the Provost died of the symptoms of Covid-19, however, he insisted that since the sample test result is not yet out, it cannot be confirmed that Prof. Udemezu died of coronavirus.
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COVID-19: 2020 Ofala, Other Festivals in Onitsha Will be Low-Key
–We Will Abide by all Health Guidelines-Onitsha Traditional Council
The Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe (Agbogidi) and the Onitsha Traditional Council has decided to comply with all the health and safety guidelines of COVID-19 ahead of all the traditional activities slated for the year 2020. The traditional council will ensure that the community will not contravene any of the guidelines and laws during the festivals.
A proclamation by His Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe (Agbogidi)Obi of Onitsha which provided the rationale for the decision, stated that “based on current projections, the coronavirus is unlikely to be brought under control, and the country fully opened up, before the end of August and into September”.
The declaration also included that “the adverse consequences for the economic and social lives of the country, will naturally have a serious impact on our own community life in Onitsha”. A major outcome of this development is that the Ofala, the highpoint of Onitsha Ceremonial Cycle, which is scheduled for 11 October and 12 October, will be held without the homecoming of Onitsha indigenes, display of royal dances, tributes, parades, and music in addition to the associated events which have come to characterize the festival.
The low-key approach was very evident in the celebration of Ajachi on 29 June 2020. The first of the ceremonial cycle, Ajachi occurs at the peak of the famine (ugani) period when every householder/family head makes offerings and prayers to his guiding spirit to intercede with the Almighty God to grant him a bumper harvest in the months ahead. His Majesty marked Ajachi in strict compliance with Covid-19 safety and hygiene protocols. Ndichie (redcap chiefs), Ndi Diokpa(spiritual heads of kindred groups), Agbalanze (titled men), and all householders/family heads also celebrated Ajachi in adherence to the Covid-19 safety and hygiene protocols.
Other festivals are Umatu which is the thanksgiving to God on the first harvest of the year, namely maize which is scheduled for August 1; Owuwa Ji, the celebration of the new yam harvest, which will run from 29 September to 26 October; and Ifejioku which will hold in January 2021 and signals the end of the harvest period and the beginning of the preparation for the next farming season. All the festivals are to be marked in the constrained manner arising as stipulated in the guidelines for the prevention of Covid-19
The Onitsha traditional Council hopes that the situation will return to normal and that the festivals will be celebrated in the usual manner.