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Southeast on Lockdown As Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial Resumes

Published

2 years ago

January 19, 2022

Eric

Hoodlums, suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, on Tuesday, stormed the St Theresa Catholic Church, Calcutta Parish, Awada, near the Ukaegbu junction, Onitsha, in a bid to enforce the sit-at-home directive.

The young men in their large numbers were said to be heavily armed with machetes and kegs of fuel and caused a stampede in the church as members, who had gathered for a service, ran helter-skelter.

The hoodlums were said to have approached the altar, where the priest, identified simply as Rev Fr Joseph, was conducting the 5.30am mass, and interrogated him on why he was conducting the service when he knew that their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, would be in court.

It was gathered that the priest answered them in a diplomatic manner by telling them, “Yes, we are in church to pray for Kanu.”

An eyewitness said the men, after interrogating the priest for several minutes, walked round the church and left.

“After walking round the church and seeing that the people, who came for the morning mass had fled, the boys left and on their way, they met a tricycle operator at the Ukaegbu junction, who was waiting for passengers, they ordered him out and burnt his keke,” the eyewitness said.

Major roads were deserted and markets and motor parks were locked up, while banks remained shut in Onitsha.

The youths, chanting Biafra songs, were seen making bonfires on major roads and streets of Onitsha and discussing sundry issues.

Schools in Owerri were shut on Tuesday in compliance with the sit-at-home directive of IPOB.

Some private schools are scheduled to reopen today (Wednesday), while students of public schools have been asked to resume on Thursday.

There was reduced vehicular movement in parts of Owerri such as the MCC Road, while major business premises remained closed.

Petty traders and mini shop owners, however, partially opened for business despite the directive.

Motor parks, markets, malls and bus stops in Owerri and environs fully complied with the sit-at-home order.

The popular Relief Market and the Lagos/Abuja motor park along Egbu Road, as well as the state-owned Imo Transport Company, all in Owerri, were on total lockdown.

Also, popular malls such as the Everyday Supermarket in Ikenegbu and bus stops such as the Fire Service roundabout remained empty.

Human and vehicular movement in the areas monitored by one of our correspondents was low as security agents were not sighted on the streets.

Economic and social activities were grounded in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State, and its environs on Tuesday as a result of the solidarity sit-at-home order by IPOB for their leader, Kanu.

The residents were on Monday compelled to observe the sit-at-home following the violence that broke out last week in some parts of the state capital and its suburbs.

One of our correspondents, who monitored the development in Enugu, observed that markets, schools, motor parks, supermarkets, malls, shops, restaurants and banks as well government offices were shut to members of the public.

Major highways and streets were all deserted. There were no security personnel at all the checkpoints around the state capital, which normally constitute gridlock in the city centre.

Despite the absence of security personnel around the city, there was no reported incident of violence.

Commercial transport operators, including bus drivers and tricycle operators, withdrew their services, while some private vehicle owners plied the roads in the city centre with utmost caution.

A resident, Mrs Christiana Ogbu, said security agents and governors of the South-East observed the sit-at-home.

In Aba and Umuahia, Abia State, the observance of the sit-at-home was near total.

Though no movement of security agents was seen, stores were closed and the streets were empty of human and vehicular traffic till late in the evening.

In Umuahia, the compliance lasted till around 2pm when some vehicles started showing up, while in Aba, it was total.

The Punch

Featured

Airforce Confirms Nigeria’s Readiness to Acquire 24 Fighter Jets from Italy’s Leonardo

Published

2 hours ago

April 20, 2024

Eric

By Reuters

Nigeria plans to acquire 24 fighter jets from Italy’s Leonardo (LDOF.MI), opens new tab to modernize its fleet and bolster its air force, air force spokesperson Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet said on Friday.

The aircraft will arrive the country in four batches of six jets each, the air force said. Africa’s most populous nation will receive the first six M-346 fighter aircraft before the end of the year, Gabkwet said in a statement.

The news followed a visit by Claudio Sabatino, Leonardo vice president, to Nigeria’s air force chief in Abuja on Wednesday.

Leonardo will provide a minimum of 25 years maintenance support, the air force statement said.

Nigeria is trying to boost its ability to combat insurgency especially in the northeast of the country where Boko Haram militants and the Islamic State regional affiliate is active. Also kidnapping and banditry is rife across the country.

Featured

Stay Away from CBT Centres, JAMB Warns Parents, Threatens Arrest

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

As this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) begins on Friday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has vowed to arrest parents found near any Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre during the 2024 UTME exercise.

The directive was issued at the final briefing of the CBT centre owners, which was held virtually on Wednesday, 17th April, 2024.

The spokesman for JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, said this directive became necessary following the intrusive disposition of some parents during the Board’s previous exercises.

Benjamin, who quoted JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said any parent, who disobeys the order would not only be arrested but his ward would also be disqualified from sitting for the examination.

Oloyede explained that this measure became necessary as it has been discovered over time that many of these intruding parents are facilitators of examination infractions while others have, by their actions, disrupted the Board’s examinations in the past.

He added that some miscreants also disguise as parents to infiltrate the centres to perpetrate all forms of infractions.

“The Board’s helmsman noted that going by the extant national policy on education, a candidate for the examination must have attained the age of 17 years.

“Therefore, it is evident that these parents had not allowed their wards to pass through the classes as defined in the document, hence the desperation to follow their wards to the examination venue with the aim of compromising examination officials.

“At any rate, it is clear to any discerning observer that these parents deserve to be sanctioned as they had obviously ‘smuggled’ underage children into the ranks of those scheduled to sit the examination,” the Board note through a statement.

Furthermore, the Registrar said all arrangements have been concluded for the conduct of the 2024 UTME, which will be held in over 700 CBT centres across the nation.

He disclosed that the Board expects a seamless exercise but it has nevertheless made adequate provision to tackle any technical glitch that might occur in the course of the examination.

He, however, warned that if a session experienced any technical challenge, candidates in subsequent sessions would be allowed to sit their examination as scheduled while the candidates in the challenged session would be rescheduled for the last session for the day or the following day or even further depending on the centre schedules.

Featured

Oyo Govt Demolishes Operational Base of Yoruba Nation Agitators

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

The Oyo State government, on Wednesday, demolished a building serving as the operational base of the Yoruba Nation agitators led by Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, in Ibadan.

Onitiri-Abiola, one of the widows of late Bashorun M.KO Abiola, had declared the creation of the so-called Yoruba Nation in a video posted online, which has been widely condemned.

Last Saturday, some armed men in military uniforms invaded the Oyo State Secretariat, with the motive to forcefully take over the State House of Assembly, before they were dislodged by the combined efforts of police and troops for the Nigeria Army 2 Division..

Mr. Fatai Owoseni, Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Seyi Makinde, confirmed the demolition of the house located at Toye Oyesola Street in Ibadan South West Local Government Area.

Already, no fewer than 29 suspects – including a lecturer – arrested in connection with the foiled armed invasion were on Wednesday arraigned by the police before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan.

In a case with charge number Mi/520c/2024 between the Commissioner of Police and the 29 suspects, they were accused of a seven-count charge of treasonable felony, unlawful society, illegal possession of firearms, and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Inspector Bakare Rasaq, the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, said the offence contravenes, and is punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.