Crime

“Spike in IPOB Attacks in Enugu Shows Mbah Isn’t Ready for Leadership”, CSO Declares

Published

3 years ago

June 28, 2023

272 Views

The current spike in attacks by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Enugu since the state governor, Peter Mbah, announced an end to the Sit-at-home order in the state three weeks ago has been attributed to the lack of preparedness for leadership by the new helmsman.

According to a civil society organisation based in Enugu, the Oriental Lawyers for Justice (OLJ), the worsened security problem has seen at least eight kidnappings in the capital in the last two weeks plus the attack on the New Haven station of the Pinnacle Oil and Gas Company owned by the governor in the early hours of Wednesday last week “show that, contrary to the assertions of those who packaged him for the recent election which he nevertheless lost, Mbah is just another politician and wheeler-dealer rather than a clear-headed leader with a focus on how to get our dear state cracking in the right direction”.

Commercial drivers protested in their hundreds on Tuesday (yesterday) against the new spate of kidnappings on the Enugu–Nsukka Road, as three kidnaps were recorded on Thursday, last week, alone.

If he had prepared himself for high office, the OLJ said in a statement signed by JohnBosco Aninwede, its president, and Mrs Ifeoma Ejike, the secretary, he would have learned from the experience of Governor Chukwuma Soludo of neighbouring Anambra State who in his inaugural speech in March, 2022, announced a war against so-called freedom fighters in the bush, only to face an unprecedented rise in attacks by IPOB members throughout the state, especially in his Isuofia hometown and Aguata Local Government Area whose headquarters was bombed.

“There is no doubt that IPOB has been responsible for the attack on Mbah’s private petroleum firm, as the perpetrators came in a large number of tricycles and armed with rifles, charms, and the notorious red headband worn by the Eastern Security Network (ESN), IPOB’s military wing”, declared the OLJ.

“And everyone knows that Pinnacle is targeted because of Mbah’s moves against IPOB”.

The nongovernmental organisation said that Simeon Ekpa, a top IPOB leader based in Finland, has openly mocked Mbah for lack of legitimately because he didn’t win the Enugu governorship election.

The lawyers argued that no serious leader would announce the cancellation of the stay-at-home order which is enforced with savagery throughout the Southeast every Monday without providing enough security forces on the ground and without constituting his cabinet because tackling profound insecurity is not a one-man show.

“By the time he announced an end to the order by the nonstate actors, the new governor had appointed only the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, and no other person into his administration”, noted the Oriental Lawyers for Justice.

“It was after he had begun to implement the order which failed spectacularly on the first Monday that it occurred to him to consult stakeholders in the state like traders, transporters, religious leaders, traditional rulers, students, town union officers, and the rest to brief them on his plans”.

They added that Mbah was marketed beyond his knowledge and skills by his handlers who “tried to mesmerise our people with his personal wealth and his manifesto promise to increase Enugu’s economy from $4bn to $30bn within four years, even though he has never supplied information on how he plans to achieve this feat”.

The lawyers observed that though they are against IPOB for its streak of violence and such illegal acts as the curfew it imposes on the Southeast weekly, “Mbah has gone about cutting down the secessionist group to size the wrong way because of his poor poor skills as a public leader.

“If he had genuinely won the March 18 gubernatorial election, he would have acted more rationally, and not in this knee-jerk manner meant to get accepted by the Enugu people who rejected him and his Peoples Democratic Party resoundingly in the 2023 general elections.”

Crime

JUST IN: Multiple Bomb Blasts Rock Maiduguri, Scores Feared Dead in Coordinated Attacks (Video)

Published

5 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Charles Flames

6 Views

A series of devastating bomb explosions struck central locations in Maiduguri on Monday evening, plunging the city into panic shortly after iftar during Ramadan.

The blasts, occurring around 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. local time (WAT), targeted high-traffic areas including the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), the crowded Monday Market, the Post Office/flyover area, and El-Kanemi roundabout according to resident reports and initial accounts.

The Borno State Police Command confirmed the incidents as suspected bomb attacks, with police spokesperson ASP Kenneth Daso stating that joint security forces, including explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units, were rapidly deployed to the scenes.

Emergency responders have cordoned off affected zones, evacuated victims, and begun restoration efforts, with normalcy reportedly returning in some areas. Authorities suspect involvement of Boko Haram or ISWAP insurgents, possibly through suicide bombings or planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Casualty figures remain unconfirmed and fluid, with various sources describing scores feared dead and many injured, including civilians caught in crowded markets and near medical facilities.

Victims have been rushed to hospitals such as UMTH and the State Specialist Hospital. Official tallies from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other agencies are awaited pending full assessments.

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, currently performing the Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia, issued a strong condemnation of the attacks, calling them “despicable, cruel, and cowardly” particularly for striking during the sacred month of Ramadan when people gather for prayers and breaking fast.

He urged residents to stay calm while heightening vigilance in public spaces like markets, mosques, and hospitals, and assured that security agencies are investigating to apprehend those responsible.

The coordinated nature of the blasts hitting multiple central points despite extensive checkpoints and security measures around Maiduguri has raised serious questions among residents and analysts about intelligence failures and how explosives were positioned or transported into the city.

Social media footage and eyewitness accounts show chaos, with heavy security presence and emergency vehicles at the sites. The attacks come amid ongoing insurgency threats in the northeast, following recent clashes and prior incidents in the region.

Security operations continue, and further details on casualties, the exact devices used, and perpetrator identification are expected in coming hours.

Residents are advised to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to authorities.

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Crime

Police Arrest 32 Suspected Bandits in Kwara Forest Crackdowns

the operation targeted criminal hideouts in forest areas around Awi, Kaiama, Patigi, and Babanla, where the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling, and other violent crimes

Published

6 days ago

March 10, 2026

OCHEFA

82 Views

Photo: IGP Tunji Disu

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested thirty two suspected bandits during intelligence-led operations targeting criminal networks operating in forest corridors across the state.

The police said that two of those arrested are foreign nationals from Niger Republic who are suspected to have collaborated with local bandits in cross-border criminal activities.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, disclosed that the suspects were apprehended during coordinated raids carried out by operatives of the Kwara State Police Command and detectives of the Intelligence Response Team.

The police assures that the suspects will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.

She explained that the operation targeted criminal hideouts in forest areas around Awi, Kaiama, Patigi, and Babanla, where the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling, and other violent crimes.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, during an operational visit to Kaiama, commended officers of the command and the Intelligence Response Team for what he described as a successful operation against forest-based criminal gangs.

Crime

JUST IN: DSS Arrests Notorious ESN Commander, Suspected IPOB Member (Photos)

Published

1 week ago

March 7, 2026

Charles Flames

114 Views

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Friday 6, at Eha-Amufu and Umuhu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, Enugu State, arrested a suspected notorious Eastern Security Network (ESN) commander, Sabastine Odo Odam, and Ejike Daniel, a suspected member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Security sources revealed that the arrest followed months of sustained intelligence gathering on activities of the suspects.

The arrests came on the heels of series of violent attacks on police stations and killings between 2024 and 2026, all in Isi-Uzo LGA.

“Both men have confessed to being masterminds of a chain of attacks on police stations and carting away of weapons. The attacks include the February 26 killing of 11 labourers, and that of five policeman between December 24, 2025 and January 26, 2026.

“The arrests represent a major success for the DSS in the fight against insecurity in the southeast and country at large,” remarked the source.

Residents of Isi-Uzo LGA expressed excitement as news of the arrests filtered in. Many noted that the arrests will restore some peace to the affected communities.

Both suspects are currently in the custody of the DSS and awaiting arraignment in court, the source added.