News
Enugu People Couldn’t Have Possibly Voted for You, Oriental Lawyers for Justice Replies New Governor
The leading non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Enugu State, Oriental Lawyers for Justice, has responded to claims by the newly sworn-in state governor, Peter Mbah, that Enugu people voted for the Labour Party in four of the five rounds of votes in the 2023 general election but cast their lot with him and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the gubernatorial one held on March 18.
“There is nothing positively special about you and there is no way our people could have elected to pitch tent with the PDP after 24 years of state capture by the party”, the lawyers declared in a statement today in Enugu signed by its chairman, JohnBosco Aninwede, and the secretary, Mrs Ifeoma Ejike.
The Labour Party won seven out of the eight House of Representatives seats and two out of the three senatorial seats in the National Assembly election conducted on February 25 and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, got 88.7% of the 456,424 votes in the presidential election held the same day.
The party won 14 out of the 24 House of Assembly seats election on March 18 while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) controversially declared PDP’s Mbah the winner of the governorship contest held the same time.
Stated the Oriental Lawyers for Justice: “The last time you were in the news before you joined the governorship race was when the President Goodluck Jonathan’s government accused your Pinnacle Oil and Gas Company Ltd of deep involvement in the oil subsidy scam, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) leading the charge.
“The Enugu people were not surprised because you had earlier been slapped with 31 offences by the EFCC following your role as the Chief of Staff and later the Commissioner for Finance under the Dr Chimaraoke Nnamani government from 2002 to 2007.
“You had a running battle with the EFCC for a whole 10 months which ended when Dr Nnamani reached a plea bargain deal with the anti-graft body, but not before several properties, the Cosmo FM station and the Rainbow Net Communications firm, among others worth billions of naira, were forfeited to the Federal Government because they were proceeds of crime”.
Stating that Mbah’s reputation as someone with a history of running battles with the EFCC could not have endeared him to Enugu voters, the NGO asserted that Mbah committed political suicide by relying on two former unpopular governors to deliver him in the governorship.
“Neither Dr Nnamani, who ran for the Enugu East senatorial zone”, said the Oriental Lawyers for Justice, “nor The Rt Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who ran for the Enugu North senatorial seat, could deliver themselves in the 2023 general election, and yet you depended on them entirely.
“Ugwuanyi, the serving governor, was defeated by Barrister Okey Ezeah of the Labour Party right in his polling booth, his polling unit, and in his hometown of Orba as well as in his Udenu Local Government Area, losing finally by 46,948 to 104,492 votes”.
As regards erstwhile Governor Nnamani, who is now an outgoing senator, the lawyers recalled how little-known Kelvin Ugwu defeated him by as many as 69,136 to 48,701 votes in the Enugu East senatorial race on March 18 after the assassination of Sir Kelvin’s elder brother, Barrister Oyibo Chukwu who was the original Labour Party candidate, on February 22, three days before the earlier scheduled senatorial election.
“It is certain that Senator Nnamani would have been defeated with a much larger number of votes if Chief Oyibo Chukwu, a former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) chairman, had not been brutally murdered and had remained the LP’s candidate”, said the lawyers.
“After 24 years of Enugu State capture by the PDP, the Enugu people voted overwhelmingly for change, and so cast their lot with the Labour Party in the presidential, Senatorial, House of Representatives, House of Assembly and, of course, governorship elections.
“Mbah and the PDP must respect the people’s will”.
Crime
Kebbi Govt Confirms Abduction of Female Students in Maga School Attack
The Kebbi State Government has confirmed that terrorists attacked the Maga Comprehensive Girls Secondary School in Sakaba Local Government Area, abducting an unspecified number of female students.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, said on Sunday that the assault occurred in the early hours of the day, adding that details remain sketchy as security agencies continue their operations.
Idris noted that Deputy Governor Umar Tafida has led a delegation of senior government officials and security personnel to the scene to assess the situation and coordinate response efforts.
According to local sources, the attackers stormed the school premises, shooting sporadically. A staff member was reportedly killed, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries during the invasion.
Security operatives have since intensified search and rescue operations as the government assured parents and residents that all efforts are being made to ensure the safe return of the abducted students.
News
NDLEA Arrests Wanted Drug Baron, Seizes Tons of Skunk in Raids
NDLEA further confirmed that it seized $11,600; 2,000 British Pounds; 2,200 Euros and 50 Canadian dollars all in cash from the suspect at the point of his arrest.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug baron, Frank Ibemesi, alias Chisco Bee.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that Chisco Bee who operates under the cover of being a businessman and hotelier, is the MD/CEO of Franc CJ Ibemesi Nig Ltd.
Babafemi disclosed that Chisco Bee was arrested at his Daisy Garden Hotel, in Ago palace way, Isolo Lagos.
He was then taken to his warehouse where 42 jumbo bags and four cartoons of Loud were recovered.
NDLEA further confirmed that it seized $11,600; 2,000 British Pounds; 2,200 Euros and 50 Canadian dollars all in cash from the suspect at the point of his arrest.
NDLEA also confirmed that operatives foiled attempt by a drug syndicate in Osun state to load and distribute large quantities of processed skunk, across the country.
Two trucks used to transport the illicit consignment were seized and seven suspects arrested.
The peddlers are Lucky Abiodun; Julius Amos; Victor Ngbikili; Sunday Oduegwu; Ibrahim Akanni; Eze Godstime; and Fred Ifeanyichukwu.In Edo State, NDLEA said it recovered a total of 1,902.1 kilograms of skunk.
While 184.1kg was recovered along a bush path in Igbanke, in Orhionmwon LGA , 672kg was evacuated from Utese forest, Ovia North East LGA with 494kg recovered along Benin-Akure road where a suspect, 45 year old Felix Edah was arrested.
The NDLEA also confirmed the arrest of four suspects: Micheal Okoh; Offor Agada; Raphael Nkemjika and Nwabueze Franklin for being in possession of 68kg skunk and 3.150kg methamphetamine.
They were arrested along Ijebu-Ode expressway in Ogun state just as Danjuma Tukura, was nabbed with 172kg skunk at Sunkani area of Ardo Kola LGA, of Taraba state and Wisdom Titus was nabbed with 84kg of same substance at Takum area of the state.
NDLEA made several other similar arrests in Adamawa, Kwara States even as it intensified its fight against drug crime in Nigeria.
Crime
DSS Cracks Down on Plateau Violence, Arms Recovery
The Department of State Services has recorded another breakthrough, arresting a man believed to be a major supplier of weapons to armed groups.
This comes Three months after arraigning suspects in the Yelwata and Plateau massacres.
In a significant breakthrough, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Musa Abubakar, a suspected arms manufacturer, in a targeted raid on November 12th.
The operation took place at his workshop in Mista Ali, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The arrest followed weeks of meticulous surveillance and the gathering of credible intelligence.
According to investigators, Abubakar confessed to manufacturing and distributing high-caliber weapons and ammunition.
These weapons were allegedly supplied to groups responsible for the recent violent attacks in Plateau State and other northern states.
Authorities seized a cache of evidence during the raid, including components of improvised explosive devices, various chemicals, and equipment used in the manufacturing process.
The DSS is continuing its investigation, aiming to identify and apprehend other individuals involved in the arms supply chain and bring them to justice.
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