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Panic-Gripped Residents Flee Imo Street As Army, Police Begin Show of Force

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There was panic in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Monday as news filtered in that a group of gunmen were on the rampage.

Schools, markets, banks and eateries immediately shut down as residents ran for their lives.

While parents and guardians rushed to withdraw their children and wards from schools, all roadside shops and motor parks were deserted.

Vehicles that were on transit when the news broke reversed and discharged their passengers.

One of our correspondents saw parents withdrawing their children from Orji Primary School, as students of Imo State University deserted the campus.

A parent who refused to disclose his identity told one of our correspondents that his neighbour told him that hoodlums were going to schools to attack pupils, saying that it was a huge risk to allow his children remain in school considering the current situation.

The PUNCH observed that the panic situation, which began at about 10 am, was as a result of Operation Show of Force embarked upon by the army and police in the state.

The situation forced vehicles owners, and barrow pushers to quickly leave the roads and streets just as road side traders also took to their heels.

The state Commissioner for Information and strategy, Declan Emelumba, said the stampede was uncalled for, adding that the security operatives were on Operation Show of Force in the state capital.

The  302 Artillery Regiment General Support, on Monday, launched  ‘Exercise Golden Dawn’, to provide security in the state.

The exercise, according to the Commander 302 Artillery Regiment (General Support) Col Abdulkarim Usman, will help to combat insecurity in the state and foster inter agency cooperation.

Usman said the exercise would routine training in various  South-East geopolitical zone.

He said that the rise of insecurity across the country had made it imperative that the Nigerian Army needed to come in to assist.

Usman said, ”The military will use the golden opportunity in conjunction with other security agencies to curb the existing security threats in Anambra State.

“The threats range from secessionist agitations, by the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, the Indigenous People of Biafra, and Eastern Security Network.

“Others are banditry, kidnapping, cultist activities, land disputes clashes, communal clashes, chieftaincy issues, assassinations and youths restiveness. To curb these countless security challenges, a robust posture in what the unit has always maintained”

The launching of the military operation was held as The PUNCH learnt that South-East governors and some selected Igbo leaders would be meeting on Tuesday (today) in Enugu to discuss the crippling effects of the sit-at-home and the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal Government.

The Punch

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Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

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Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

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DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

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Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.

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Shiites Protest in Kano over Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

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Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, on Sunday, took to the streets of Kano metropolis to protest the killing of the Supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a joint attack by the US-Israel on Saturday.

The demonstrators, who are simply known as Shiites, trooped out in their numbers at about 2.30pm in and trekked from the Fegge Central Mosque the Islamic Movement headquarters situated at Kofar Waika in the State capital.

The demonstration, adjudged peaceful, lasted for about two hours, terminating after 4.00pm.

The demonstration was followed by speeches by their scholars that spoke about the state of affairs in the Middle East and its implications on the rest of the world. A special prayer was also offered seeking Allahs intervention for the people of Iran.

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abudulhi Haruna Kiyawa, resisted attempts to persuade hims for official reaction to the demonstration.

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