Crime
“Spike in IPOB Attacks in Enugu Shows Mbah Isn’t Ready for Leadership”, CSO Declares
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.”
The Nigerian Army has intensified its efforts to combat the recent resurgence of banditry attacks in Plateau State, with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, approving the immediate deployment of the COAS Intervention Battalion of Special Forces to the region.
According to a press release from Captain Chinonso Oteh, Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE, the newly deployed special forces personnel will join existing troops already operating in the state.
Their mandate is to aggressively and decisively confront the escalating threats posed by bandit groups, marking a significant escalation in military response aimed at restoring lasting security.
Upon arrival at the Headquarters of 3 Division in Jos, the troops were received on behalf of the General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE, Major General Folusho Oyinlola.
Representing him was the Chief of Staff for Operation ENDURING PEACE, Brigadier General Senlong Sule. Brigadier General Sule urged the special forces operatives to conduct offensive operations against the bandits with decisiveness and ruthlessness.
He commended Lieutenant General Shaibu’s proactive leadership in supplying essential combat enablers and logistical support to ensure the troops can effectively fulfill their mandate.
Major General Oyinlola, through his representative, appealed to residents of Plateau State not to be alarmed by the increased movement of large numbers of troops and heavy military equipment across the state. He emphasized that these deployments are part of coordinated efforts to neutralize criminal elements.
The GOC also thanked citizens for their ongoing support to the military and called for heightened collaboration, particularly through the timely provision of actionable intelligence on the locations and activities of criminal groups.
Such community input, he noted, will be crucial in enabling troops to achieve the desired peace and stability in Plateau State and surrounding areas.
Crime
NDLEA Busts 1.6kg Cocaine Swallower to China, Meth in Yogurt/Speakers, Ibadan Colos Factory (Images)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 62-year-old Lagos-based auto parts dealer, Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport for attempting to smuggle 1.589kg of cocaine to China by ingesting 95 wraps concealed in his stomach.
Izueke was nabbed on January 31, 2026, during outward clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to China via Addis Ababa. A body scan confirmed ingestion, and he excreted the 95 pellets over seven sessions under observation. He claimed the act was to fund his village home construction in Iwollo, Enugu State.
In related operations, NDLEA foiled methamphetamine smuggling attempts: 1.8kg hidden in Hollandia yogurt packs intercepted in Taraba State on February 6 en route to Adamawa; and consignments concealed in MP3 speakers from Enugu, leading to arrests of Ebube Okeke in Abuja and three others in Kaduna.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, operatives raided a “Colorado” (synthetic cannabis) production facility on February 7, arresting kingpin Jimoh Nurudeen, 40, and accomplice Ogundipe Yusuf, 27. Seizures included precursor chemicals, 14g skunk, production tools, ₦7.4 million cash, and two vehicles.
Other busts included 395,400 tramadol capsules in a petrol tanker in Kwara State; 149.6kg skunk in Oyo; large skunk recoveries in Imo and Ondo; 31 cocaine wraps from a boat arrival in Lagos; and various drugs plus cash from dealers in Enugu and Lagos.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended operatives across commands for the seizures and urged sustained professionalism in supply and demand reduction efforts, including ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitizations in schools and communities.
An 18-year-old housewife, identified as Khadija Jamilu, is on the run after allegedly attacking her 25-year-old husband with a knife, inflicting a deep cut to his genital area during a domestic dispute in Potiskum Local Government Area.
The incident occurred around 1:00 a.m. on February 6, 2026. According to the Yobe State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, police responded to a distress call and found the victim with severe injuries to his manhood. The suspect fled the scene immediately after the attack.
The victim was rushed to a medical facility for treatment, though details remain limited to protect his privacy and avoid further trauma. Authorities have launched a manhunt for Khadija Jamilu, describing the act as a serious assault stemming from a marital conflict.
Police urged anyone with information on her whereabouts to contact the Potiskum Divisional Police Headquarters. The case highlights ongoing concerns about domestic violence in the region, with investigations continuing.
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