Nnamdi Kanu’s court drama, assault of UNIZIK’s lecturer, other top stories from South-east

Arrest of Ohanaeze youth leader

The week began last Sunday, 9 February, when gunmen reportedly “abducted” the National President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Igboayaka Igboayaka, in Imo State.

OYC is the youth wing of the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

But the police in Ebonyi, another state in the South-east, later confirmed that their operatives, not gunmen, arrested Mr Igboayaka.

The police explained that the arrest followed a petition by an unnamed government official against the youth leader over his remarks on the recent attack and killings in Amegu Nkalagha Community in Ebonyi State.

The Coordinator of Ishielu North Development Centre in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Emeka Odanwu, later confirmed that he wrote the petition against the youth leader over his comments on the attack.

Nwifuru says local criminals, not herders, behind recent Ebonyi killings

Meanwhile, on the same Sunday, Governor Francis Nwifuru announced that local criminals, not herders, were responsible for the recent killings in Amegu, Nkalagha Community in Ebonyi State.

Mr Nwifuru said a “preliminary investigation” by security operatives showed that criminals from the community carried out the attack, contrary to initial speculations that herders were behind it.

The governor’s position differs from that of the community, which has accused herders of being responsible for the killing.

Jude Chikadibia, the commissioner for information in Ebonyi State, told PREMIUM TIMES that the governor made the statement based on confessional statements by a suspect earlier arrested by security operatives over the attack.

Mr Chikadibia explained that the confessions by the suspect also linked members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to the deadly attack in the community.

ESN is the armed militant wing of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group seeking the secession of the South-east and some parts of the South-south from Nigeria.

Ebonyi discontinues trial of 180 defendants allegedly involved in communal clash

Last Monday, the Ebonyi State Government discontinued the trial of about 180 defendants in the Effium and Ezza-Effium communal clash who were standing trial at Abakaliki Magistrates Courts.

Ben Odoh, the attorney-general and commissioner for justice, urged the courts to discharge and acquit the defendants in a letter to the courts, stating that the state was no longer interested in the case.

In their ruling, Chief Magistrates Ojemba Isu-Oko of Court 1 and Linds Ogodo of Court 2 discharged and acquitted the defendants.

The defendants, charged four years ago, had been detained at the Ebonyi Correctional Centre.

Drama at Nnamdi Kanu’s court appearance

There was mild drama last Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja when Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader, appeared in court to continue his trial.

But Mr Kanu aggressively opposed his trial, arguing that the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, had recused herself from the case and would not be allowed to preside over his case again.

The IPOB leader subsequently made some unsubstantiated claims against Mrs Nyako, suggesting that the judge had reached a compromise with the Nigerian government to convict him to free Mrs Nyako’s husband and son, who are facing corruption charges in another court.

He subsequently displayed copies of the federal gazetted law of Nigeria that provides that the Federal High Court chief judge cannot tell Mrs Nyako or any other Federal High Court judge what to do.

The judge consequently adjourned the case indefinitely.

PDP’s crisis in Abia, purported suspension of BOT chairperson

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Tuesday when the PDP leadership in Abia announced that they had suspended the party’s Chairperson of the Board of Trustees (BOT), Adolphus Wabara.

Abraham Amah, the PDP chairperson in Abia State, said the party leadership in the state handed Mr Wabara a one-month suspension for endorsing Governor Alex Otti of Abia State for a second term in October 2023, barely five months into his administration.

However, the National Working Committee of the PDP later dismissed the suspension and described it as “unconstitutional, null and void. “

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Wabara’s purported suspension appeared to be a continuation of the power play between the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the embattled BOT chairperson.

Messrs Wike and Wabara have been in a face-off over the control of the PDP at the national level.

Both leaders recently engaged in a war of words, with Mr Wike saying he would have disowned Mr Wabara if the former senator were his father.

Mr Wike’s ally, Okezie Ikpeazu, a former governor of Abia, controls the PDP in the South-eastern state.

Anambra community’s attack on Governor Soludo over lawmaker’s murder, insecurity

Last Monday, the people of Onitsha Community in Anambra State criticised the Governor of the state, Charles Soludo, over rising insecurity in the state and the murder of a lawmaker, Justice Azuka, in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that gunmen, on 24 December 2024, abducted Mr Azuka, a member of the Anambra House of Assembly.

On Thursday, a joint security team found the lawmaker’s decomposing body at Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State.

But at their town hall meeting, the people of Onitsha Community, where the slain lawmaker hailed from, expressed anger and disappointment over the worsening state of security under Mr Soludo’s administration.

They queried state authorities for failing to locate the abducted lawmaker until after 40 days.

They also faulted the state government for failing to communicate with the community and family of the deceased appropriately.

Fracas at UNIZIK

It was a terrible day last Tuesday when a 300-level student at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (NAU), Precious Mbakwe, allegedly assaulted a lecturer in the university, Chukwudi Okoye, for interrupting her while she was recording a video in the university corridor.

The incident elicited several reactions, with some criticising the student for acting with disrespect to the lecturer.

The lecturer, Mr Okoye, and the student, Ms Mbakwe, separately narrated the incident.

The university authorities later set up a committee to investigate the incident.

Following the committee’s findings and recommendations, the student was found guilty of misconduct and violating the university’s regulations.

She was consequently expelled from the university with immediate effect.

NAFDAC uncovers ‘massive’ fake drugs depot

Last Friday, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) announced a shocking discovery of a depot for large-scale dealings in expired and falsified drugs in Abia State.

NAFDAC said the fake and expired drugs were discovered inside multiple buildings in Umumeje, a community in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of the state.

The agency said the buildings served as a hub for repackaging and revalidating expired medicines for resale.

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Many killed as speeding truck crashes into house, shops

It was a tragic day on Friday in Nnewi, Anambra State, when a speeding truck crashed into some shops and a compound in the state.

Although residents suggested that at least 10 people, including children, were killed in the crash, authorities said only six were confirmed dead as of Saturday afternoon.