Ohanaeze’s risk to Nigerian govt, PDP’s countless squabble, different high tales from South-east

From risk by Ohanaeze Ndigbo in opposition to the Nigerian authorities to squabble within the Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP) within the South-east, the previous week was eventful within the area.

It was the fourth week of February 2024.

Listed below are the highlights of the highest tales that made headlines within the area:

Safety businesses raid terrorist camp in South-east

The week started with a cheering announcement by the police in Anambra State on Tuesday that mixed safety businesses raided a camp of suspected insurgents in Achalla, a group in Awka North Native Authorities Space of the state.

The police spokesperson within the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, stated mixed safety operatives raided the camp on Monday.

He stated the commissioner of police within the state ordered the operation after the insurgents allegedly disrupted enterprise actions on the group’s market the earlier Monday by ordering merchants out there to sit-at-home.

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, stated the safety operatives took the insurgents abruptly, prompting them to flee with gunshot wounds, “leaving trails of blood.”

Though the police didn’t particularly point out the identities of the “insurgents,” a faction of the Indigenous Individuals of Biafra (IPOB) had been linked to the sit-at-home orders within the area, which was supposed to stress the Nigerian authorities to launch its detained chief, Nnamdi Kanu, who’s standing trial for alleged terrorism at a Federal Excessive Courtroom, Abuja.

Ohanaeze threatens to sue Nigerian authorities

Nonetheless on Monday, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo threatened to sue the Nigerian authorities over its failure to create a further state within the South-east.

The President-Common of the Ohanaeze, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, stated it’s improper that the South-east is the one area in Nigeria with 5 states, including that the scenario has price the area billions of monetary losses and losses in ministerial appointments in addition to legislative representations.

Mr Iwuanyanwu claimed that he had repeatedly drawn the eye of successive Nigerian governments to the scenario within the area, however nothing has been executed to deal with the “injustice”.

Leaders within the South-east have been making the demand for a further state within the area. That is, nevertheless, the primary time the apex Igbo group would threaten authorized motion in opposition to the Nigerian authorities.

Prosecution of man over alleged cruelty to animals

We additionally reported the story of a local physician in Enugu State accused of cruelty to animals.

The native physician, recognized merely as Nnabuikem, popularly often known as ‘Excessive Chief Enenie Nwa ite,’ hails from Ovoko, a group in Igbo-Eze South Native Authorities Space of the state.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Nnabuikem was seen in a number of video clips uploaded on his Fb web page torturing and violently killing animals, apparently to carry out rituals for his purchasers.

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Kanayo Uzuegbu, later introduced that he had ordered the arrest and prosecution of the native physician.

Mr Uzuegbu urged people and organisations inside and outdoors Nigeria who’ve seen the viral video clips to maintain religion with the police to make sure justice within the matter.

South-east PDP squabbles over nationwide secretary place

The disaster raging within the South-east PDP deepened on Tuesday when the management of the occasion within the area insisted that the Nationwide Working Committee (NWC) and different organs of the PDP ought to ratify Sunday Udeh-Okoye because the occasion’s nationwide secretary.

There was an intense contest about who’s the genuine nationwide secretary of the PDP, between Samuel Anyanwu and a former PDP Nationwide Youth Chief, Mr Ude-Okoye.

Mr Anyanwu, the substantive occupant of the place, is in search of to retain the place after dropping within the 11 November Imo State governorship election.

A Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja, in January 2024, declared Mr Anyanwu because the legitimate nationwide secretary of the PDP.

However the PDP management within the South-east, in a communiqué issued on the finish of its Zonal Govt Committee assembly in Enugu on Tuesday, contended that the Abuja courtroom ruling got here after a Excessive Courtroom in Enugu State had already dominated in opposition to Mr Anyanwu and ordered that Mr Udeh-Okoye be recognised because the nationwide secretary of the occasion.

They accused the occasion’s nationwide management of mistreating the zone by neglecting their earlier nomination, and insisted that they might not tolerate the delay in ratification of Mr Udeh-Okoye because the occasion’s nationwide secretary.

The raging disaster, if not instantly tackled, might utterly tear the PDP aside within the area, the place it suffered losses within the 2023 presidential and Nationwide Meeting elections.

Lassa fever kills 14 in Ebonyi

Lassa fever continued its havoc in Ebonyi State on Wednesday the place it claimed 14 lives.

Authorities stated that the 14 instances had been among the many 29 confirmed instances of the illness recorded as of 20 February.

In line with them, no fewer than 110 suspected instances of the illness had been lately recorded within the state.

Arraignment of lawyer accused of brutalising home assist

The report a few feminine lawyer accused of brutalising her 11-year-old home lady was among the many tales that trended in Nigeria’s South-east inside the previous week.

The lawyer, Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, was stated to have used a damaged bottle, knife and electrical iron to “brutalise” the kid who started staying along with her on 5 January.

She later reportedly went into hiding which prompted the Commissioner for Girls and Social Welfare in Anambra, Ify Obinabo, to declare her needed.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that, following Ms Cukelu-Okafor’s disappearance, Nigeria’s Minister of Girls Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, positioned a N2 million bounty on the lawyer.

The lawyer later surrendered herself to the police in Awka, Anambra State.

She was arraigned, Wednesday, on a two-count cost of willful infliction of bodily accidents on the home lady earlier than the Kids, Sexual and Gender-Based mostly Violence Justice of the Peace Courtroom in Awka, Anambra State.

The lawyer pleaded not responsible to the cost.

The courtroom declined her bail software and remanded her within the custody of the State Prison Investigation Division, Awka.

The matter was adjourned till 28 February for a ruling on the defendant’s bail software.

Killing of Anambra group chief

It was a black Friday in Umuoji, a group in Idemili North Native Authorities Space of the state the place Silas Onyima, the president-general of the group, was killed by hoodlums who attacked him in his residence.

The assault and killing of the president-general highlights the worsening insecurity within the state and area.

Killing of pharmacist in Imo

Like in Anambra, the black Friday prolonged to Imo State on Friday, the place gunmen killed a pharmacist after abducting his elder brother, who later escaped from captivity.

The incident occurred in Irete, a group in Owerri West Native Authorities Space of the state.