Tell Police To Release My Husband’s Corpse, Woman Begs Panel
Mrs Chidimma Edozieuno, a petitioner to the Anambra Judicial Panel of Inquiry on police brutality has called for the release of the corpse of her husband, Johnson, to his family for burial.
Edozieuno made the call in her petition to the panel sitting in Awka, the state capital, on Thursday, alleging that the deceased died in police custody.
She said her husband, who lived in Benin Republic, visited Nigeria after she gave birth to a baby and was arrested in the early hours of Aug. 1, 2017 by policemen on mufti at their Ichida Street residence in Awka.
She alleged that her property was taken away to an unknown destination by the operatives, whose operational base was not disclosed to her.
She said the operatives alleged that her husband was a kidnapper and she would not see him again.
The widow said that after conducting a search in the police stations around Awka without success, information got to her that her husband was allegedly being tortured and detained by the disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) at Awkuzu.
She said that she instituted a legal process at the state High Court, Awka to secure his release.
She said that during one of the proceedings, the Legal Department of SARS informed the court that her husband had died.
According to her, that was how the matter was dismissed by the court.
Edozieuno pleaded with the panel to order the police to release the husband’s corpse to his family.
She also urged the panel to order the police to return her property and pay reasonable compensation to the deceased’s family.
The Chairman of the panel, Hon. Justice Veronica Umeh, said the panel would investigate the claims in the petition and make appropriate recommendations.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five of the 33 petitions sent to the panel were entertained on Thursday.
The panel struck out the petition by one Dr Peter Ekemezie, following his application for withdrawal.
The matter was said to have been determined by a court and was still pending in an appellate Court.
Other petitioners, Onyechi Ngene and Nestor Ngozichukwuka, were advised to engage the services of legal experts to enable them to prepare their case and make clear prayers. (NAN)
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Tragedy: Truck Driver Crushes 5 Pupils, Lynched In Ebonyi
Tragedy struck at Oshiri community in Onicha local government area of Ebonyi state last Tuesday when five pupils of St Michaels Schools, Oshiri were crushed to death by a water supply tanker on their way home. The driver and conductor of the truck were subsequently lynched by angry youths.
The accident took place at Onu Nworie Egu Oshiri around 3pm involving a truck allegedly belonging to C- Sagas project Nigeria limited. The victims, identified as Davis Nworie, 6, Prosper Ogudu, 7, Tochukwu Nwankwo 6, Ada Igwe, 7 and Peace Ifeanyichukwu, 3, were from Amaokpara village Oshiri.
This paper gathered that the deceased were quickly picked up for burial by their families after doctors confirmed them dead.
Orient Weekend further gathered that the truck driver, Innocent Ewa, and his conductor, Dennis Ojim were also lynched by angry youths shortly after the accident. A source said the duo were trailed to the neighbouring community, Onicha Igbeze where they fled to following the accident.
“The driver of the tanker after the incident didn’t stop. Consequently, youths from the area mobilised, chased and caught them at Onicha Igbeze, a nearby community.
The Ebonyi state police command’s public relations officer, DSP Loveth Odah, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that the remains of the driver and his conductor were recovered and deposited at the Onicha General Hospital. Odah further disclosed that no family members of the two slain men had approached the police since the tragic incident on November 3.
“The divisional police officer (DPO) of Onicha was contacted that an accident took place at Oshiri community killing five school children and that angry youths attacked the driver and his conductor, killing them. Remains of the driver, Ewa Innocent is from Ameka Ikwo while the conductor Ojim Dennis of Agharazo, Iyiemgu Izzi are lying in the mortuary.
Odah seized the opportunity to caution drivers to be more careful while plying the road, especially during the Yuletide season.
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Umahi Shot, 12 Others Abducted By Suspected Warlords From Enugu
Mr Eze Umahi, a youth leader from Agwu, Uburu community in Ohaozara local government area of Ebonyi state, has been allegedly shot while 12 other youths from the community were abducted by suspected warlords from Okpanku community in Aniri local government area of Enugu state.
Orient Weekend gathered that the attack took place at a location where youths from the two neighbouring communities converged for a reconciliation ritual over lingering land dispute between them. According to a source, Uburu youths, who attended the peace deal event, were allegedly attacked by their counterparts from Okpanku in Enugu state.
The source disclosed that the divisional police officer of Ohaozara Division, who later mobilised police operatives to the area, found two spent shells at the scene before rushing Umahi, the gun victim, to a nearby hospital where he received treatment. “The whereabouts of the 12 abducted youths are still unknown and it is believed that they are being held at Okpanku”, the source adds.
This paper further gathered that the police commissioner in Ebonyi, CP Philip Sule Maku, had ordered investigation into the matter, in cooperation with his Enugu state counterpart.
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Man Shot, Another Missing In Ebonyi Communal War
A 28-year-old, Pius Igwe, of Ishinkwo community in Onicha local government area of Ebonyi state has been reportedly shot dead by persons suspected to be warlords from neighbouring Abaomege community in a renewed communal war between the two communities. Another man, also from Ishinkwo, Francis Nweke (45) has also been declared missing after the latest clash over boundary land on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
Orient Weekend further learnt that another villager, Obioma Eleke, from Abaomege who was also shot during the communal fight, was rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA) by security operatives.
The Ebonyi state police command’s public relations officer, DSP Loveth Odah, who confirmed the incident told this paper that police operatives had taken over the disputed land to avoid further killings.
Odah appealed to warring communities in Ebonyi to embrace peace for development to strive in their area. “The situation at hand is too much for us to go fighting ourselves in the name of land which everybody will leave this world and it will remain on earth. COVID-19 has killed much; #endsars has killed many and now it is land dispute in Ebonyi.
“The CP condemned the renewed crisis especially in this situation, the other time he invited Ishinkwo and Abaomege people and he made efforts to make peace among them. The CP condemned the attack seriously and warn that the people should cease fire and embrace peace because Ebonyi state, under his watch, cannot be battling against hoodlums and now it is brother and sister fighting over land,” she stressed.
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20 Entrepreneurs Benefit From 1st Phase Of Abia SME Support Fund
About twenty entrepreneurs have benefited from the first phase of the SME Support Fund, an initiative of State Government to support small businesses in the State.
The special loan support, which is targeted at small businesses operated mostly by young entrepreneurs, is aimed at enhancing their financial abilities to expand their businesses.
Mr. Chinenye Nwaogu, special adviser to Abia State Governor on Job Creation, who represented Governor Okezie Ikpeazu at the presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries in Aba, stated that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration, is poised to develop the MSME ecosystem in the state.
He explained that Ikpeazu’s policies and programmes have impacted positively on entrepreneurs in the state.
Some of the policies include, road infrastructure, access to power, like the Ariaria independent power project, promotion of made in Abia products, exhibitions and fashion events and the establishment of a State owned Microfinance Bank.
He disclosed that Abia has maintained the lead in the MSME sector in the country, because of the focused attention, programmes and determination of the government that sees MSME as the engine room for economic growth.
He observed that as the country is currently facing serious economic and employment challenges, one of the ways to get out of the socioeconomic quagmire, is to grow MSMEs nationally and urged governments at all levels to emulate such strides in the sector.
He assured the public that it will be a continuous exercise, as that is the only way to build a stronger and viable economic environment in the state.
Mazi Ijioma Nta, acting managing director, of the Microfinance Bank, expressed appreciation to the Governor for setting up the bank, as a way of creating access to finance for entrepreneurs in the State.
Mr. Friday Chisom, one of the beneficiaries, thanked the Abia State Governor for his passion to support small businesses and his determined efforts to create the right environment and support for the growth of MSMEs.
He assured the Governor and the bank that beneficiaries will apply the funds judiciously and also keep to the terms of the loan.
The single digit loan with a moratorium of 3 months and repayment period of 9 months is part of the Governor Ikpeazu’s MSME Support Fund launched during the commissioning of the Abia Microfinace Bank.
As directed by the Governor, women and youths will constitute over 70 percent of the beneficiaries.
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Stop Buhari From Medical Trips - Senate Committee Tells State House Officials
The Senate on Thursday told State House officials to restrain the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), from foreign trips for medical treatment in order to ensure the State House clinic becomes functional this year.
The Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs gave the warning when the State House Permanent Secretary, Tijani Umar, appeared before the panel to defend his 2021 budget estimates.
The State House official had presented a budget of N19.7bnfor 2021, out of which N1.3bn was proposed for the State House Clinic.
Reacting to the proposal, the Chairman of the Senate panel, Senator Danjuma La’ah, said the committee would approve the budget for the State House Clinic but insisted that the President and other top officials of his government should no longer be flown abroad for medical treatment.
The Permanent Secretary in an interview with journalists after defending his budget promised to put necessary arrangements in place to meet to medical needs of the President and other top officials once the budget was approved
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Buhari, Sultan, Monarchs From 6 Geopolitical Zones Meet In Aso Rock
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with representatives of traditional rulers across the six geopolitical zones, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar.
The meeting, which is taking place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, has in attendance the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ife, the Emir of Kano, Etsu Nupe, Chairman, Imo State Traditional rulers among others.
Although the agenda of the meeting is yet to be made public, it may not be unconnected to national unity and the recent nationwide protest against Police brutality.
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