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By Madu Obi A popular native doctor based in Oba, Idemili North local government area of Anambra State was kidnapped on Sunday night in one of his hotels in the town. The native doctor, known as Akwa Okuko tiwara aki ( an egg that breaks palm nut), was believed to possess power of disappearance, but could not disappear when the kidnappers came for him. His two personal aides were said to have been killed in the vicinity of the hotel before the kidnappers effortlessly took him away. Regarded as one of the strongest native doctors in Anambra State, it was a surprise that he was kidnapped with so much ease in his hotel, Triple P Hotel, which is one of the three hotels he built in Oba. The Anambra State police command has confirmed his kidnap as the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga said the incident happened around 11:30pm last night. The state Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye has already ordered operatives go after his abductors and ensure his release. A source said: “Akwa Okuko Tiwara aki has been Kidnapped. Two of his security men were shot dead." In the he meantime, many people have been trouping to his house in Oba to find out if truly he was kidnapped in view of the enormous powers he was believed to possess. The kidnappers have also not made any contact with his family in terms of ransom to be paid.

By Madu Obi THE new Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye has assured that the state police command would continue to provide security for people who want to go about their businesses without hindrance. He stressed that the police have no business with people who prefer to sit at home when they are supposed to be working or doing their businesses. His statement came on the heels of the threat by the Finland - based Simon Ekpa that there would be a lockdown of the South East for two weeks beginning from July 31, 2023. Addressing reporters at the state police headquarters, Adeoye described as unfortunate, a situation whereby people now work for four days in a week, but get salary for five days. He said: "From the point of law enforcement, sit at home is an illegal affair. Those making the declaration for the sit at home belong to an organization which competent courts have described as illegal. "Our duty as security agencies is to provide adequate security for the people to the best of our ability. But it is the people who have the prerogative to decide whether to sit at home or not." " We cannot enter anybody's house to drag him out because if we do that, we will be infringing on the person's fundamental human rights since he has freedom of choice." " In spite of the action of security operatives, some people support the sit at home, which is rooted in the agitation for a separatist enclave called Biafra. "Those who work for four days see Mondays as extra holiday. As long as we are able to protect those doing their businesses, we have no business with those who prefer to sit at home." Adeoye vowed that under his watch, Anambra would be a hot place for criminals, adding that the command would collaborate with other states in the South East to secure the zone. He said further: "We are not in the habit of telling criminals to relocate from the state. We will not create problems for neighbouring states by asking criminals in Anambra to relocate to other states because we have all it takes to deal with them here in Anambra State and we will deal with them squarely, unless they turn a new leaf." "We have no delight in seeing people lose their lives, but if that is what it takes to protect the people of Anambra State, we will not stop to achieve the mandate given to us by the Inspector General of Police". He commended the Anambra State government for creating a social avenue to empower the youths and other persons in the state to reduce crimes.

The Enugu state government has directed business owners and super markets operating in Enugu to open shops and businesses every Monday of the week. In a release signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia and addressed to each business operator, the government observed that some shop owners in Enugu metropolis have refused to open for business every Monday of the week. The release further observed that the refusal to open shop on Monday is against the backdrop of the robust security arrangements made by the state government and the fact that the observance of the sit-at-home on every Monday of the week has been cancelled. The release directed that any shop that is not open for business with effect from Monday, the 24th day of July, 2023 will be sealed and re-allocated to some other persons who are willing to do business in Enugu. The release also warned that licences of corporate bodies will be revoked for failure to act on the directive. The said release is a final warning to all shop owners and corporate bodies who are yet to comply with the directive to open shops on every Monday of the week. From our roving reporter.

By Madu Obi Awka-THE president of The ex Biafra war affected police officers have pleaded with government to harmonize their pension in the interest of equity and fairness. President of the association, Mr. Matthew Udeh lamented that many police officers in the association earn as low as N6000 as monthly pension because they were on the Biafra side during the civil war. Speaking in an interview in Awka, Udeh recalled that all police officers who were in Biafra were dismissed after the civil war in 1970, adding that it took 30 years of petition before former President Olusegun Obasanjo granted them presidential amnesty in 2000 and converted their dismissal to retirement. He urged the Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, Dr. Chioma Ejikeme to do everything within her power to ensure the harmonization of the pension of war affected police officers with the prevailing pension arrangement in the country. He said: "Our case is peculiar because at the end of the civil war in 1970, we were dismissed from the police because we served in Biafra. " We had to petition the injustice and thirty years later, our dismissal was converted to retirement through the presidential amnesty granted by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. " The retirement took effect from May, 2000 and naturally our pension was supposed to be based on the salary we were earning at the time of retirement. In other words, we expected that our pension would be based on the prevailing pension in 2000, but unfortunately as a punitive measure, our pension was based on what we were earning when we were dismissed 30 years earlier, which was why many of us were earning as low as N6000 pension per month for constables." According to Udeh, what members of his association receive as pension is too small to assist them as they have become old and urged to the Executive Secretary of PTAD to prevail on the present administration to harmonize the pension of the war affected police officers with others. .

By Iheanyi Chukwudi Isi-Uzo Divisional Police station in Ikem, Enugu state, has been attacked by gunmen who allegedly made away with arms and ammunition in the Police armoury. The attack which took place in the early hours of Tuesday, according to sources from the area witnessed the storming of the unfenced police station at about 2am on Tuesday. The gunmen the source said operated in a Toyota Sienna bus, shouting “Release Nnamdi Kanu,” “No Nnamdi Kanu, no peace.” The source further said, “They came through Eha-Amufu and left through the same axis but it’s not possible they got to Eha-Amufu township or crossed to Nkalagu, otherwise they would have been encountered by the soldiers in that area. It’s possible they went through Aguamede to Benue state." A policeman on night duty at the police station was said to have miraculously escaped death after being shot by the gunmen. The said divisional police station is said to have in the past been under severe attacks by armed robbers who terrorised banks at Ikem and Eha-Amufu, resulting in the closure of banks in the area for over 10 years now. It is also reported that the porous divisional police station is the only one in the whole of Isi-Uzo LGA with the closest at Obollo-Afor, a 30 kilometres distance. The Enugu State Police Command is yet to speak on the attack or confirm it, more than 17 hours after the attack allegedly took place.

By Iheanyi Chukwudi The absence of an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) witness on Tuesday prevented the Commission from opening it's defence in the election petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Enugu State, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga and his party. INEC was billed to open it's defence on Tuesday after Edeoga had closed his case against Gov. Peter Mbah and INEC on Sunday, July 16, after calling a total of 30 witnesses that testified before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Enugu and tendering several documentary evidences. Edeogain his petition is praying the tribunal to disqualify Mbah over an alleged NYSC certificate forgery and the manipulation of the election that produced him as governor. But on Tuesday at the resumed hearing of 5he petition where INEC was supposed to open its defense of the election, the Commission's counsel, Mr. H. Okoli told the court that the witness he had scheduled to testify could not make it to court. He said, "I got information as I was coming into the court that the witness missed his flight and cannot be in court." Reminding the court that the first respondent have two days to defend the result of the March 18 governorship election, Okoli said,"We are aware that they have only two days and humbly ask the court to grant them tomorrow (Wednesday) to come." Neither Edeoga and LP lead counsel, Mr A. Awomolo (SAN) nor Mbah's and PDP's counsel, Mr. Ikechukwu Onuoma and Mr. Anthony Ani (SAN) opposed Okoli's application. The Tribunal Chairman, Justice M. K Akano appealed to the second respondent's counsel to be ready to open his case at close of the INEC's case and adjourned the case till July 19 for continued hearing.

By Iheanyi Chukwudi Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the March 18 governorship election in Enugu State, Chief Uche Nnaji, on Tuesday lost again his bid to be declared the governor of the state, as the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu dismissed his appeal. Nnaji had gone to the Court of Appeal to seek redress after his petition against Gov. Peter Mbah and two other candidates was thrown out by the Justice K.M Akano-led Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on June 20, but the appellate court upheld the decision of the lower court and dismissed his appeal for lack off merit. The decision of the three-man panel of the appellate court was delivered by Justice J.O.K Oyewole. The APC candidate had contended in his petition that Mbah was not constitutionally qualified to vie for the office of the governor at the time of the election, having allegedly presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Nnaji who polled a total of 14,575 against Mbah’s 160,895 votes, to place a distant fourth in the election, equally averred that Governor Mbah was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election. Joined as respondents were the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, and that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr. Frank Nweke Jr., whom, according to the appellant, were not qualifed to contest the election, having allegedly ran foul of the asset declaration law. He had, therefore, asked the Tribunal to disqualify Mbah, Edeoga, and Nweke and either declare him the winner or order INEC to conduct a runoff election between him and other remaining candidates. But, delivering the judgment of Tribunal on the petition marked EPT/EN/GOV/05/23, the Chairman, Justice Akano, said the lawsuit was not filed in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and could not be heard pursuant to paragraph 18(3) (4) of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act, 2022. Consequently, Nnaji approached the Court of Appeal, praying it to send the dismissed petition back to the Tribunal for hearing and determination of the suit. But at the resumed hearing of the appeal marked CA/E/E/EP/GOV/EN/01/2023 on Tuesday, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Tribunal and dismissed the suit accordingly. The appellate court equally awarded the sum of N250,000 each against Chief Uche Nnaji and the APC.

By Iheanyi Chukwudi Enugu traders and residents who came out for their normal businesses on Monday have said that they were tired of sitting at home, describing the Monday sit-at-home as a plague killing their businesses and household economies. Complaining to Governor Peter Mbah at their various markets and residential areas within the state capital where he visited as he monitored compliance on the ban on sit-at-home, thanked him for the courage to end the demonic order of non-state actors. Their lamentation came as Gov. Mbah announced government decision to seal off and revoke shop title of shops not opened when he return next Monday on monitoring. It was however, a relatively busy day in some of the areas visited by the Governor as most of the major business concerns were on duty. The Governor who visited Spar Mall, Roban Stores at Bisalla Road, Market Square, Shoprite, Zenith Bank at Ogui Road, Celebrities, Ogbete Market, Garki Awkunanaw Market, Mayor Market, Abakpa Market, and the State Secretariat, commended the level of compliance in most of the places. He however, warned that traders, who continue to sit at home from Monday, July 24, would lose their shops to serious-minded businessmen. Assuring them that adequate security had been provided, Mbah noted that there had not been any incident of attack since the ban on sit-at-home in June. Interacting with business owners, shoppers, traders as well as civil servants at the State Secretariat, the Governor said “It should never be heard that we were cowed because of the threat of violence by these criminals”, noting that “the poverty that will befall us for sitting at home will kill us even faster”. “We are losing over N10bn every Monday that we sit at home. Enough is enough. This foolishness must end and it must end now. We cannot be marginalising ourselves and still complain of marginalisation." “So, we must say no to sit-at-home because what it means is that we are destroying our employment, our economy, and our GDP. We must erase it from our memories. We should see it as our shameful past, which we do not want to remember. We must put it behind us and forge ahead, ensuring that we work every working day of the week.” Addressing traders at Ogbete, Garki, and other markets, he said, “But you know, there are also consequences for not heeding our orders. Going forward, I want to put you on notice. I will go around the state again on Monday next week. We are going to come with the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority to put a seal on any shop that is found locked on Monday because of the illegal sit-at-home. We will take it that you are not ready to do business. “We are going to revoke your license to operate. We will revoke your shop title and reallocate it to someone else, who is ready to do business. This is something we must enforce with effect from Monday next week.” In their responses to the Governor, the market leaders and business owners assured him that they were now ready for full compliance, saying they were already sick and tired of the Monday-sit-at home. At Ogbete, the President of Enugu State Amalgamated Traders Association, Stephen Aniagu, assured the governor that they had already agreed to commence full business, saying all shops would be open from next Monday, same assurance was also given by the leader at Abakpa market, Bernard Anike. On his side, a development economist, Richard Emeka Ezeh, while lamenting on the high cost of sit-at-home commended Mbah’s determined efforts to bring it to an end. He said“I’m surprised to see the governor here. I like it that he is going round to sensitise the people on why they should come out. “Employers of labour were losing so much money to sit-at-home. The economy cannot grow when we are losing N10 billion every Monday. As a development economist, I know that the private sector drives every economy, but the private sector cannot thrive in a place where people sit at home.” Likewise on Monday, public and private schools monitored in Enugu were open, most of them for the first time on a Monday since the beginning of sit-at-home.

By Iheanyi Chukwudi The Police in Enugu State have arrested one male suspect and member of the criminal gang that allegedly attacked and murdered an Enugu lawmaker, Duhu Nelson Nnacheta (a.k.a “Ofunwa”). The slain Nnacheta, who was assassination Sunday night at about 11.30pm was the Councilor representing Eha-Ulo Ward, in Nsukka Local Government Legislative Council, Enugu State. He was said to have been killed by gunmen who stormed his residence at Umualoji Village in Eha-Alumonah community. The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Daniel Ndukwe (DSP), who confirmed the incident and the arrest of one suspect, disclosed that the Commissioner of Police has ordered intense discreet investigation and manhunt of the other assailants. Ndukwe who did not give details on the arrested suspect, his name, how he was arrested and where, only said, “Police Operatives of the Command have arrested one (1) male suspect and a member of the criminal gang, alleged to have attacked and murdered one Duhu Nelson Sylvester Nnacheta (a.k.a “Ofunwa”) “m”, identified as the Councilor representing Eha-Ulo Ehalumona Council Ward, on 16/07/2023 at about 11.30pm, at Umualoji Village in Ehalumona community of Nsukka LGA.” The assassination of the lawmaker is said to have thrown the entire community into mourning as tension engulfs the town and their neighbouring communities. A a reliable source told newsmen on Monday that the assassins stormed Nnacheta’s house and started raining bullets on him and he ran into a neighbouring compound, from where his lifeless body was later recovered after the attack. Describing the Nnacheta’s assassination as one too many, the source said, “It is heartbreaking; it is too hard for us to swallow. We are in deep agony.”

By Madu Obi The Nigeria Police and men of the local vigilante have intercepted 1000 bagstruck load of cement at Okija, Ihiala local government area of Anambra State. The thieves hijacked the HOWO trailer, with Reg. No. Delta AKU 247 XB conveying the cement at Ubuluokite in Delta State at gunpoint and escaped all the security checkpoints until they got to Okija. Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga said the armed robbers on sighting the joint patrol comprising of the Police and Vigilantes along the Onitsha-Owerri expressway, pulled off the road at Okija, abandoned the truck and fled. He said the recovered consignment has been released to the rightful owner on the instruction of the Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye. According to him, the CP has ordered a manhunt for the gunmen, calling on the people within the area to help with useful information that could help in apprehending the fleeing suspects, Adeoye assured that such information given shall be treated with the confidentiality it deserved.

By Iheanyi Chukwudi The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and it's governorship candidate in the March 18 governorship election in Enugu State, Frank Nweke Jr. have withdrawn the petition filed against Gov. Peter Mbah and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), challenging outcome of the March said election in the state. Nweke, who came third in the governorship election with 17,983 votes as against Mbah’s 160,895 votes, announced the withdrawal of his petition yesterday at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu state, through an oral application by his counsel, Prof Race Achara. The petitioners’ counsel, while addressing the tribunal said his client wished to make an oral application to withdraw the petition which had its suit number as EPTEN/GOV/07/2023 from the court. “My lords, as has been instructed by my client, I wish to make an oral application before the honourable tribunal to withdraw the petition filed against the first, second and third respondents in this matter so that we will no longer be wasting the time of the court, as we were not able to gather the evidence that will help in prosecuting the matter." The first, second and third respondents are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Peter Mbah, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), respectively. Replying to the petitioners’s application, counsel to the first, second, and 3rd respondents told the court that they had no objection to Nweke’s application. Chairman of the tribunal, Justice M. K Akano, therefore, made a ruling striking out the petition.She said, “The petition before the tribunal with suit number EPTEN/GOV/07/2023 is hereby withdrawn." Confirming the withdrawal to newsmen on phone, Mr. Nweke Jr., who was a Minister in the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration, said he decided to withdraw the petition for personal reasons.

By Iheanyi Chukwudi Labour Party (LP) candidate in the March 18 governorship election in Enugu State, Chijioke Edeoga, 9n Sunday closed his case against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Gov. Peter Mbah, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the election. Edeoga had in his petition, alleged that the election that produced Mbah as governor was rigged, just as he prayed the tribunal to disqualify the Governor over an alleged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate forgery. He closed calling a total of 30 witnesses who testified and tendered several documentary evidences before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Enugu State. Before the closure of Edeoga’s case yesterday, INEC whose Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu was subpoenaed to appear before the court with BVAS appeared through a senior staff of the Commission, Victor Okafor, with only five BVAS machines. Meanwhile, Edeoga tendered to the tribunal exhibits that included polling unit results (form EC8A) in all the areas in contention; ward collation results (form EC8B) in the affected areas and summary of the results as well as the declaration of the results. Also tendered by the petitioners included the NYSC produced documents of Oma and Partners; form EC9 of Chijioke Edeoga and Governor Peter Mbah as well as the BVAS machines which was brought to court by the REC yesterday. At yesterday’s sitting the REC who was subpoenaed to produce, BVAS machines, was represented by Okafor, who brought only five BVAS machines against the number demanded by the petitioners. The petitioners had applied for a subpoena on the REC to produce the BVAS machines from Owo, Ugbawka 1 Registration Areas of Nkanu East LGA as well as some other polling units in Igboeze North LGA, but, during cross examination by the petitioners counsel, Okafor who appeared on behalf of the REC, said he was mandated to produce five BVAS machines before the tribunal. He said that the information that was generated on the BVAS machines during the governorship election on March 18 was now contained in the BVAS report from the Headquarters in Abuja. Okafor also said that he did not have the BVAS machines for Owo and Ugbawka 1 registration areas of Nkanu East Local Government Area, adding that the machines could only be identified by their codes. Giving the codes of the five BVAS machines he brought as 14/08/06/003, 14/08/01/002, 14/08/06/005, 14/08/17/012, 14/08/01/003, Okafor said, “All the machines contained the BVAS and accessories.” The REC representative however said that he could not operate the BVAS machines beyond the information he earlier gave concerning them because they (machines) had not been used since after the election. He however, did not provide the certified true copies of the BVAS report of the 2023 governorship election polling unit by polling unit as well as the CTC of voters register used in Owo and Ugbawka 1 Registration Areas in Nkanu East LGA of the state. Okafor insisted that he was not holding back any information, as according to him, all the documents they applied and paid for have been supplied to the petitioners. The five BVAS machines were tendered to the Tribunal by LP counsel, Mr Eyitayo Fatogun (SAN) but the PDP counsel, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu and Mbah's counsel, Mr Alex Izinyon objected to the tendering of the machines, saying that their reasons for objection would be made known during their final addresses. The tribunal, however, admitted the BVAS machines as evidence. Under cross-examination by counsel to Mbah, the INEC staff said that the machine could contain only successfully uploaded accredited information. LP’s two last witnesses, Mr Abba Godwin and Amos Onyebuchi, who were LP agents, from Ette central and Ikwele Ugbele respectively, both from Igbo-Etiti North LGA told the court that there was over voting at their polling units during the governorship election. Upon the close of the petitioner’s case and appreciations of the panel by petitioners lead counsel, V.J Azinge (SAN), INEC counsel, H Okoli applied for a date to open their defense. Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice M. K Akano adjourned the matter till July 18 for INEC to open its defense. Meanwhile, briefing journalists at the end of the Sunday's sitting, Counsel to Dr. Peter Mbah and 2nd respondent, Alex Iziyon (SAN), said: “What happened in court today is that the petitioners brought in their remaining witnesses and the court also asked INEC to bring some BVAS machines, which were brought and tendered. “We also asked REC what transpired during the election and he confirmed that everything went well peacefully and things were in order. “The five BVAS, which were indicated were brought, but they were over 4,000 BVAS machines in polling units in Enugu State and that was it and the Labour Party closed their case.” When asked about the position of the Subpoena on Owo and Ugbawka in Nkanu East Local Government, he said the petitioner asked for only one polling unit, which was brought to the court.